3L  IC1 


*  HERBERT   HEEBNER  SMITH 


PUBLICITY   AND   PROGRESS 
BY    HERBERT     HEEBNER    SMITH 


PUBLICITY*™  PROGRESS 

TWENTIETH  CENTURY  METHODS 
IN  RELIGIOUS,  EDUCATIONAL  AND 
SOCIAL  ACTIVITIES 


BY 
HERBERT  HEEBNER  SMITH 


HODDER  &  STOUGHTON 

NEW  YORK 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


Copyright,   1915, 
By  George  H.  Doran  Company 


PREFACE 


THIS  volume  aims  to  cover  in  a  broad  way 
the  relation  of  religious,  semi-religious, 
educational  and  charitable  institutions 
of  all  sorts  through  the  printing  press  to  the 
public.  An  attempt  has  been  made  to  show 
in  a  suggestive  manner  how  successful  com- 
mercial publicity  methods  may  be  extended  to 
non-commercial  institutions  for  the  benefit  of 
society  in  general.  The  book  is  written  for 
amateurs  by  one  who  would  hesitate  to  call  him- 
self a  professional.  The  writer,  however,  for 
a  dozen  years  earned  his  living  by  working  for 
newspapers  as  editor  or  reporter  in  towns  of 
2,000,  10,000,  30,000,  and  100,000  population. 
He  has  managed  publicity  for  the  Minnesota 
State  Board  of  Health,  and  for  the  St.  Paul 
Association  of  Commerce,  and  has  been  a  con- 
tributor to  advertising  magazines.  Connection 
with  church  organizations,  Sunday  school  as- 
sociations, city  Christian  Endeavor  unions, 
Y.  M.  C.  A.'s,  and  experience  "for  two  years  as 
news  editor  of  The  Continent  (Chicago)  have 
given  him  some  insight  into  publicity  problems 
from  the  side  of  pastors  and  executives  of  non- 
commercial organizations.  Most  of  the  sug- 
gested plans  have  been  tried.  With  other 
publicity  schemes  hitherto  limited  to  commer- 
cial purposes  the  relation  between  the  sphere 

[v] 


338326 


PREFACE 


in  which  they  have  been  used  and  the  sphere 
in  which  it  is  suggested  that  they  may  be  of 
service,  has  been  pointed  out. 

Such  a  book  as  this  cannot  be  exhaustive. 
It  is  meant  to  be  suggestive.  Publicity  and 
advertising  must  be  planned  with  local  condi- 
tions in  view.  Because  many  of  the  institutions 
here  treated  are  not  liberally  supplied  with 
promotion  funds,  the  effort  has  been  made  to 
show  how  good  may  be  done  for  society  by 
using  present  opportunities  more  skilfully, 
where  limitations  prevent  the  expenditure  of 
much  money.  The  advantages  of  paid  adver- 
tising have  been  pointed  out  in  the  proper 
places. 

The  book  has  been  written  in  full  knowledge 
of  the  fact  that  publishers  are  flooded  with  re- 
quests to  print  something  about  this  or  that 
public  welfare  organization.  Some  commercial 
concerns  have  been  prone  to  attempt  thus  to  get 
advertising  free,  although  this  practice  is 
decreasing.  The  suggestions  here  take  into 
account  the  point  of  view  of  the  editor,  himself 
subject  to  rigid  limitations.  Newspapers  want 
11  human  interest  stuff, "  and  they  also  realize 
the  interest  of  readers  in  religion.  Many  editors 
have  confessed  their  pleasure  at  intelligent  co- 
operation by  non-commercial  organizations  in 
getting  helpful  news  or  information  before 
readers.  To  aid  executives  of  such  organiza- 

[vi] 


PREFACE 


tions  to  recognize  what  real  news  is,  and  thus 
to  assist  editors  to  stimulate  the  thought  of  the 
community  along  altruistic  lines,  is  one  of  the 
ambitions  of  the  author. 

HERBERT  H.  SMITH. 
Evanston,  Illinois. 


[vii] 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Need  of  Publicity        .  11 

II.  Training  for  Service  Through  the  Press        .  .  27 

III.  Hints  on  Seeing  and  Writing  News      ...  41 

IV.  Some  Ways  of  Getting  Publicity  .  55 
V.  The  Use  of  Illustrations      .  71 

VI.  Church  Advertising  .  83 

VII.  Making  Known  the  Y.M.C.  A.  and  Y.W.C.  A.  .  119 

VIII.  Using  Newspapers  to  Boost  Conventions      .  .  133 

IX.  Civic  Righteousness  via  Printer's  Ink .          .  .  157 

X.  Making  Publicity  Produce  Cash  Returns     .  .  177 

XI.  The  College  President's  Assistant         .  .  197 

Bibliography               226 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  NEED  OF  PUBLICITY 


Publicity  of  your  work  may  help  others  in  their  prob- 
lems— Increase  the  interest  in  work  you  are  doing  by 
making  the  press  an  ally — Daily  papers  as  church  aids  not 
seriously  enough  considered — Paul  had  to  invent  a  substi- 
tute for  the  present  newspaper — Advertising  increases  the 
interest  of  friends  of  any  institution — Problems  ^of  non- 
commercial organizations  in  relation  to  community  com- 
parable to  problems  of  factory  in  selling  product. 


CHAPTER  I 

THE    NEED    OF   PUBLICITY 

"  y  HAVE  never  sent  an  item  about  my  work 
to  any  paper/'  said  the  pastor  of  an 
Indiana  church  to  the  editor  of  a  religious 
paper.  He  said  it  in  a  tone  which  indicated 
that  he  thought  he  had  done  something  which 
entitled  him  to  the  respect  of  modest  men.  This 
pastor  soon  pulled  from  his  pocket  a  novel  plan 
for  outfitting  a  library  in  his  Sunday  school. 
He  acknowledged  that  the  idea  might  be  useful 
to  other  schools,  and,  as  soon  as  it  was  sug- 
gested, saw  that  the  church  paper  was  the  logical 
instrument  to  carry  this  "message."  He  prom- 
ised to  see  his  work  in  a  broader  light,  and  not 
refuse  through  modesty  to  send  to  his  denom- 
inational paper  items  which  would  be  of  interest 
to  other  churches. 

The  attitude  of  this  man  is  typical  of  that  of 
many  preachers  of  all  denominations,  and  of 
workers  in  charity  organizations,  Christian 
Associations,  and  other  non-commercial  enter- 
prises engaged  in  philanthropic  work.  They 
resent  the  flamboyant  attempts  of  some  persons 
to  get  themselves  into  the  limelight,  and  in 
loathing,  turn  to  the  other  extreme  and  blind 
their  eyes  to  the  positive  advantages  which 

[13] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

might  accrue  to  their  work,  and  to  lines  similar 
to  that  in  which  they  are  engaged,  by  a  judicious 
use  of  publicity  for  the  work,  rather  than  for 
the  worker. 

In  addition  to  this  altruistic  motive  for  telling 
of  successful  plans  and  events  in  one's  own 
organization,  there  is  the  possibility  of  attract- 
ing attention  to  the  work  through  the  press  so 
as  to  increase  its  effectiveness  and  enlarge  its 
support.  This  use  of  the  press  is  not  new. 
Many  organizations  avail  themselves  of  it  now, 
and  commercial  enterprises  without  number 
have  come  to  depend  upon  it  for  a  great  share 
of  their  success. 

Advertising  as  used  by  commercial  concerns 
is  costly  in  that  there  is  required  a  considerable 
outlay,  all  of  which,  however,  comes  back  with 
large  interest  to  the  man  who  uses  it  skillfully 
and  has  the  goods  which  the  people  want,  or  can 
be  educated  to  think  that  they  need.  The  cost 
of  this  publicity  has  been  the  obstacle  which 
has  prevented  its  more  general  use  by  those 
organizations  which  must  husband  carefully 
their  cash  resources.  In  this  volume  some  effort 
will  be  made  to  show  that  by  the  exercise  of 
brains  it  is  frequently  possible  to  make  the  press 
a  warm  ally  by  one's  being  a  real  agent  of  the 
press,  rather  than  "a  press  agent"  for  the 
organization.  That  term  has  come  to  be  used 
by  newspaper  publishers  to  denote  the  man  who 

[14] 


THE    NEED    OF    PUBLICITY 

tries  to  smuggle  past  the  editor  matter  which 
should  enter  through  the  business  office  with 
greenbacks  attached.  Newspapers  want  human 
interest  news,  because  people  like  it.  Informa- 
tion which  has  the  widest  appeal  finds  ready 
welcome  from  any  city  editor.  To  show  where 
this  may  be  uncovered  and  to  point  out  some 
of  the  ways  in  which  it  can  be  furnished  by 
various  organizations  is  one  of  the  objects  of 
the  following  chapters. 

The  problem  of  the  proper  sort  of  cards, 
leaflets,  inserts,  catalogues  and  circulars  which 
a  non-commercial  organization  may  issue  with 
profit  is  a  large  one  in  itself.  It  is  a  part  of  the 
general  problem  of  the  relation  of  the  organiza- 
tion to  the  public.  The  same  principles  which 
govern  the  elements  of  a  good  news  story  adhere 
to  good  printed  matter  of  all  sorts.  There  have 
been  several  books  issued  recently  which  touch 
directly  on  this  phase  of  advertising  for 
churches  and  charities.* 

The  first  printed  book  was  a  Bible.  From  the 
time  of  the  invention  of  movable  type,  religious 
leaders  have  made  large  use  of  the  printing 
press.  Tracts  flourished  in  the  earliest  days  of 
printing.  During  the  Revolution  and  in  Aboli- 
tion times,  moral  problems  were  presented  to 
the  people  through  circulars  and  pamphlets  in 
a  vigorous  fashion.  Many  of  the  present-day 

*For  a  list  of  such  books  consult  the  bibliography  at  the 
end  of  the  volume. 

[15] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

successors  of  the  earlier  reform  agitators  seem, 
however,  to  have  less  ingenuity  in  making  use 
of  the  modern  means  of  disseminating  informa- 
tion. Newspapers  have  taken  the  place  of 
pamphlets.  People  receive  news  hastily  from 
the  printed  page,  instead  of  leisurely  in  coffee 
houses. 

The  pastor  who  preaches  polished  missionary 
discourses  on  India  often  utterly  fails  to  see 
the  possibilities  of  reaching  readers  of  the -daily 
papers  in  the  next  block,  men  and  women  who 
never  will  be  attracted  to  hear  him  talk.  He 
has  not  learned  to  translate  the  "preach"  in 
the  Great  Command  into  the  language  of  the 
daily  press.  His  lukewarmness  may  even  re- 
pulse the  reporter  who  comes  as  a  friend  to  get 
notes  of  his  sermon. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era  and 
for  a  long  time  afterwards,  mouth  to  mouth 
communication  was  the  quickest  way  of  spread- 
ing information.  Paul  established  what  by  a 
stretch  of  the  imagination  might  be  called  the 
first  religious  and  civic  uplift  newspaper  when 
he  had  his  friends  carry  letters  to  the  various 
young  churches  which  he  had  founded.  These 
letters  of  advice  and  counsel  were  read  to  the 
people  in  lieu  of  sermons.  That  was  the  best 
means  then  existing  to  carry  such  advice.  The 
modern  Pauls  each  day  of  the  week  have  a 
means  of  communication  reaching  vast  multi- 

[.16] 


THE    NEED    OF    PUBLICITY 

tndes.  The  founder  of  the  Christian  faith  Him- 
self attracted  attention  by  unusual  deeds  and 
not  only  organized  a  force  of  men  to  carry 
abroad  news  of  His  message,  but  arranged  the 
details  of  the  routes  of  those  who  went  out.  He 
associated  with  Himself  men  who  had  the  power 
of  expression  in  words.  They  have  left  a  record 
of  His  thoughts  and  acts  which  forms  part  of 
what  is  yet  the  best  selling  book.  Christ  used 
the  means  which  in  His  day  was  calculated  to 
reach  the  largest  number  of  men.  Surely  those 
who  object  to  using  the  press  of  this  day  to 
further  religion  and  morality  have  studied  the 
methods  of  their  Master  imperfectly. 

Perhaps  the  reason  for  the  failure  of  moral 
leaders  to  make  larger  use  of  the  daily  press 
to  reach  men  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that 
they  have  not  been  trained  to  do  this.  Semi- 
naries use  large  incomes  to  educate  men  to  talk 
and  to  exhort.  They  have  not,  however,  brought 
into  use  any  course  designated  to  train  men 
to  write,  in  terms  understandable  by  the  average 
newspaper  reader,  the  news  of  missions  and  of 
the  acts  of  modern  apostles.  This  is  preemi- 
nently the  age  of  newspaper  readers  rather  than 
of  church  goers.  It  is  time  that  some  one  led 
the  way  to  a  modification  of  the  training  of 
future  religious  leaders  so  that  they  may  in- 
fluence men  through  the  press.  Men  must  be 
trained  to  put  in  a  new  setting  the  truths  of  the 

[17] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

gospel.  Those  who  preach  must  learn  to  .write 
for  the  general  public,  in  such  a  way  that  their 
writings  can  be  readily  understood. 

As  much  study  is  required  to  reach  men  for 
better  living  through  the  printed  word  as 
through  the  spoken  word.  Secretaries  of  Chris- 
tian Associations  can  seldom,  without  experi- 
ence, hit  upon  just  the  thing  about  their  work 
which  newspaper  editors  will  count  news,  and 
which  will  draw  men  and  women  closer  to  the 
Association.  The  secretary  of  the  charity  so- 
ciety, the  president  of  the  college,  the  head 
resident  of  a  settlement,  can  with  profit  look 
at  his  work  from  the  viewpoint  of  a  publicity 
agent  to  see  what  items  in  the  daily  routine  can 
be  made  to  interest  outsiders  in  what  he  is 
trying  to  do.  Communities  and  organizations 
differ.  No  plainly  marked  publicity  path  can  be 
indicated.  A  college  seeking  students  will  not 
use  the  publicity  methods  which  will  be  profit- 
able to  an  anti-tuberculosis  society  just  starting 
its  work  in  a  town  of  10,000.  For  these  and 
other  allied  organizations  there  are  suggestions 
in  the  following  pages. 

The  church  has  the  mission  of  saving  the 
world  and  cannot  wait  for  the  world  to  come 
to  it.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  be  in  the  world. 
The  church  must  make  itself  known.  ' '  Let  your 
light  so  shine"  applies  to  churches  as  to  indi- 
viduals. It  must  reach  out  in  every  way  con- 

[18] 


THE    NEED    OF    PUBLICITY 

sistent  with  its  own  nature  and  use  the  means 
best  fitted  to  produce  results. 

Advertising  and  publicity  are  but  two  over- 
lapping means  of  making  use  of  the  laws  of 
psychology  through  type.  The  man  who  wants 
persons  to  buy  soda  crackers  of  a  certain  name 
must  use  type  to  force  their  wills  to  obey  his. 
The  easiest  way  is  to  create  a  desire.  The 
determination  to  buy  and  the  actual  purchase  of 
the  goods  is  then  soon  brought  about.  Depart- 
ment stores  in  large  cities  seldom  spend  less 
than  $100,000  a  year  in  daily  newspaper  adver- 
tising. A  certain  double  page  "  spread "  in  the 
Saturday  Evening  Post  cost  a  gum  manufac- 
turer $11,000.  To  regain  the  mere  investment 
there  must  have  been  sold  2,200,000  sticks  of 
gum.  A  million  people  must  chew  gum  for  a 
day  to  pay  for  it!  The  makers  of  Holeproof 
Hosiery  are  said  to  spend  $1,800,000  a  year  for 
advertising.  Their  sales  from  the  beginning 
were  made  possible  by  advertising.  The  Harri- 
man  Lines  in  1912  spent  $1,362,000  for  adver- 
tising, trying  to  fill  the  West  with  settlers  and 
tourists,  and  the  advertising  managers  of  four- 
teen subsidiary  roads  spent  a  week  in  New  York 
criticizing  each  piece  of  advertising  matter  these 
lines  put  out.  Men  move  their  families  and 
change  the  location  of  their  business  through 
advertising.  Nashville,  Tenn.,  spent  $100,000 
in  three  years  nTpublicity.  The  central  office 

[19] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGEESS 

often  received  600  replies  a  day.  In  the  first 
eighteen  months  fifty-six  new  enterprises  and 
152  conventions  were  found  to  be  results  of 
this  advertising.  During  the  last  thirty  days  of 
the  advertising  of  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica 
in  1913  there  was  spent  $75,000,  and  from  May 
18  to  May  30  the  orders  jumped  from  23,000  to 
32rOOO  sets  as  a  result.  Advertising  for  com- 
mercial organizations  pays  big  profits.  Non- 
commercial organizations  are  just  learning  that 
they  may  gain  benefits  in  the  same  way. 

One  of  the  greatest  moral  forces  in  business 
the  last  few  years  has  been  the  advertising  men 
who  have  demanded  that  every  "ad"  tell  the 
truth.  What  greater  truth  can  an  "ad"  tell 
than  that  man  is  a  sinner  and  that  there  is  salva- 
tion through  repentance  and  confession?  The 
Men  and  Religion  Forward  Movement  in  New 
York  and  in  other  cities  proved  the  efficiency 
of  church  advertising.  The  joint  publicity 
campaigns  of  churches  in  large  cities,  to  which 
reference  will  be  made  later,  have  brought 
church  letters  out  of  trunks  and  men  into  the 
congregations.  Charitable  organizations  have 
used  display  space  asking  for  gifts  and  their 
coffers  have  been  filled.  Colleges  have  told  the 
story  of  the  self-sacrifice  of  their  instructors 
and  of  students  anxious  to  have  an  education 
and  large  gifts  have  come.  Men  who  use  adver- 
tising to  promote  their  business  must  see  the 

[20] 


THE    NEED    OF    PUBLICITY 

advantage  of  the  same  sort  of  applied  psy- 
chology for  their  church  and  charities. 

A  valuable  reflex  influence  is  often  noted  in 
connection  with  most  advertising.  Employees 
who  see  in  papers  and  magazines  the  name  of  the 
firm  for  which  they  work  feel  a  larger  sense  of 
their  responsibility.  The  advertising  of  vacuum 
cleaners  by  urging  higher  standards  of  cleanli- 
ness has  stimulated  the  sale  of  brooms  and 
carpet  sweepers.  The  church  member  who  reads 
in  his  morning  paper  that  the  speaker  at  the 
special  service  on  Sunday  evening  in  his  church 
has  been  all  but  starved  to  death  by  Africans, 
may  arouse  himself  to  hear  what  the  stranger 
has  to  say.  If  he  reads,  on  the  morning  follow- 
ing the  service,  a  half-column  interview  giving 
facts  about  the  missionary  which  were  not 
brought  out  in  the  sermon,  he  feels  a  still 
greater  interest.  Perhaps  he  may  put  an  extra 
half  dollar  in  the  collection  the  next  Sunday! 
A  man  will  put  his  money  where  his  heart  is. 
Arouse  his  interest  and  he  becomes  a  friend 
and  a  contributor.  The  press  is  waiting,  ready 
to  be  harnessed,  willing  to  help  pull  the  load, 
for  it  knows  that  thus  it  is  helping  to  make  a 
better  community,  helping  tie  more  people  to 
the  publication,  obtaining  a  stronger  grasp  on 
the  interest  of  the  consumers  of  its  product. 

Publicity  is  needed  by  non-commercial  organ- 
izations because  it  is  inherently  demanded.  If 
[21] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

the  relation  of  the  organization  to  the  public  it 
serves  is  considered  from  a  merchandising 
standpoint  a  bit,  the  need  will  appear.  The 
church,  Christian  Association,  college,  or  other 
non-commercial  association  may  look  at  itself 
as  a  local  factory  selling  direct  to  consumers. 
As  such  it  must  study  its  product,  its  possible 
market,  and  its  means  of  reaching  that  market. 

Keep  in  mind  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  as  an  example 
in  following  this  analysis  for: 

I.  The  product  of  any  factory.*    1.  Demand: 
developed  or  undeveloped,  permanent  or  season- 
able.     2.     Serviceability:    a    necessity,    luxury 
or  convenience.     3.    Price.     4.    Profit :  larger 
or  smaller  than  competing  lines.     5.    Competi- 
tion: aggressive,  lax,  long  established,  wealthy 
—their    sales,    advertising    campaigns,    policy 
toward  customers. 

II.  The  field,  or  possible  market.f    1.   Loca- 
tion.   2.   Consumers :  wealthy,  well  to  do,  poor, 
married,   single,   old,   young,   laborers,   clerks, 
mechanics,  professional  men.     3.    Transporta- 
tion.   4.   Competition  (same  as  above). 

III.  Scheme  of  distribution,  or  getting  the 
product  to  the  possible  consumers.     1.    News- 
paper advertising,  billboard  advertising,  street- 
car advertising.    2.  Window  displays.    3.  Dem- 

*R.  E.  Fowler  in  "Printers'  Ink,"  February  8,  1912. 
•^'Printers'  Ink,"  February  22,  1912. 

[22] 


THE    NEED    OF    PUBLICITY 

onstrations,  if  they  are  possible.  4.  Canvassers. 
5.  Catalogue,  follow  ups  and  samples,  if  possible. 

The  "product"  which  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  to 
sell,  is  of  course  varied,  so  that  an  analysis 
could  be  made  for  each  division  of  the  work.  It 
offers  salvation,  friendship,  physical  training, 
education  of  all  sorts,  meals,  and  rooms.  The 
competitors  are  around  the  corner  and  over  and 
in  every  saloon,  and  their  advertising  appro- 
priation is  usually  liberal,  as  is  their  policy  to- 
ward customers.  The  "field"  concerns  the  kind 
of  men  to  be  reached  and  the  ease  of  access  to 
the  association  building.  The  association,  like 
all  the  organizations  considered  in  this  book, 
sells  directly  to  customers,  but  a  factory  making 
stockings  for  consumers  would  have  to  do  more, 
to  succeed,  than  put  an  electric  sign  over 
front  door  and  have  boys  on  the  streets  handing 
out  cards. 

The  same  analysis  will  apply  to  the  church  as 
a  whole.  Where  are  the  people  it  should  reach! 
The  "product"  is  salvation  and  personal  peace. 
It  may  startle  pious  folk  to  think  of  "selling" 
salvation,  but  in  terms  of  commerce  that  is  what 
every  preacher  and  personal  worker  does.  The 
price  paid  is  service  to  Christ  and  His  church. 
To  sell  the  product  of  the  church  as  much  active 
work  is  needed  as  to  sell  the  product  of  any 
factory  in  your  city.  Too  many  churches  estab- 
lish their  "factory,"  wait  for  customers,  and 

[23] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

make  little  direct  effort  to  "distribute"  their 
product  or  reach  their  possible  "customers." 
Churches  depend  in  great  part  on  mouth  to 
mouth  solicitation — canvassing  if  you  will ;  but 
this  is  only  one  of  the  ways  mentioned  in  the 
above  plan  of  "distribution"  for  commercial 
concerns. 

The  W.   C.   T.  U.  has  for  sale  interest  in 
temperance.    The  field  is  the  city,  or  section  of 
it;  the  means   of  reaching  the  field  must  be 
adapted  to  the  possible  prospects.     The  goods 
that  a  fresh  air  association  has  for  sale  is  re- 
newed bodies  and  strengthened  lungs  for  poor 
mothers  and.  children.    The  field  is  the  well-to- 
do  and  moderately  rich  of  the  city.    The  various 
societies  inside  the  church  also  are  provided  for 
in  the  plan.     The  Christian  Endeavorers  have 
the  young  people  of  the  church  and  vicinity  as 
their  field,  offering  them  opportunity  for  serv- 
/ice.     The  church  paper,  leaflets,  bulletins,  and 
j  similar  intra-church  means   of  communication 
[can  be  used.     (See  Chapter  VI.) 

Salvation  is  of  the  spirit,  and  more  than  one 
reader  may  be  tempted  to  brand  the  writer 
as  impious  or  worse.  The  majority  of  the 
34,000,000  persons  of  the  United  States  above 
ten  years  of  age  who  are  outside  any  church 
can,  however,  be  reached  best  by  talking  in 
terms  which  they  understand  rather  than  in  the 
language  of  Canaan.  Those  now  in  the  church 

[24] 


THE    NEED    OF    PUBLICITY 

must  learn  to  look  at  it  as  providing  something 
more  than  a  place  to  spend  a  comfortable  hour 
two  or  three  times  a  week,  or  than  even  a  social 
center  in  winter. 

The  church  offers  the  biggest  thing  in  the 
world.  The  methods  by  which  it  reaches  people 
should  more  nearly  measure  up  to  the  import- 
ance of  the  message  it  has  for  the  world. 


[25] 


CHAPTER  II 

TRAINING  FOR  SERVICE  THROUGH 
THE  PRESS 


Four  disciples  of  Christ  were  reporters — Real  need  for 
men  with  publicity  instinct  in  non-commercial  associations 
of  all  sorts — Pew  men  can  see  news  in  churches  or  philan- 
thropies— Can  they  be  trained  in  conferences  and  semi- 
naries? 


CHAPTER  II 

TRAINING  FOE  SERVICE  THROUGH  THE  PRESS 

THE  main  obstacle,  as  the  press  sees  it, 
to  any  systematic  publicity  of  religious 
things  lies  in  the  fact  that  there  is  no 
zeal  for  advertising  in  the  church  nor  among 
her  ministers. ' '  This  statement  from  the  report 
of  the  Publicity  Commission  of  the  Men  and 
Religion  Forward  Movement  of  1912  may  suffi- 
ciently justify  this  attempt  to  instill  the  adver- 
tising idea  into  men  who  are  vitally  interested 
in  religious  and  allied  institutions.  "  There  is 
plenty  of  news  in  religion,"  says  the  same  re- 
port, "but  there  must  be  more  religion  in  news- 
paper men  and  more  newspaper  instinct  in 
religious  men,  ere  the  important  service  of 
revealing  to  the  unchurched  world  Christian 
thought  and  activity,  as  it  really  is,  can  be  ade- 
quately performed." 

People  who  scoff  at  modern  methods  in  the 
church  and  profess  to  believe  that  the  church 
should  adopt  none  of  the  means  of  "the  world" 
to  reach  men,  fail  to  remember  that  four  of  the 
greatest  of  the  men  to  whom  the  founding  of 
Christianity  was  largely  left  were  "reporters." 
If  Matthew  was  inspired  to  write  the  account 

*Messages  of  the  Men  and  Religion  Movement.  "Publicity 
Message:  The  Church  and  the  Press." 

[29] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

he  did  of  Christ's  words  and  actions,  who  shall 
deny  that  men  now  may  not  profitably  study 
how  to  tell  most  widely  the  doings  of  Christ's 
followers  to-day?  Where  is  there  a  higher  call- 
ing, outside  of  the  direct  ministry  itself,  than 
that  of  spreading  the  news  of  missions  and 
church  progress  at  home;  or  describing  new 
plans  for  reaching  men  and  women?  A  preacher 
may  touch  men  in  a  more  personal  way  than  he 
who  furnishes  religious  news  for  papers,  but  the 
speaker's  audience  is  always  restricted.  There 
is  no  limit  to  the  good  a  printed  word  can  do. 
There  is  a  real  necessity,  to  which  every  city 
editor  and  newspaper  reporter  can  testify,  for 
the  men  and  women  in  charge  of  the  institutions 
under  discussion  to  see  the  activities  of  their 
organization  from  the  newspaper  standpoint. 
Many  a  time  reporters  who  are  anxious  to  aid 
the  work  ask  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretaries  for  news, 
or  approach  pastors  for  interesting  items  rather 
than  stale  announcements,  only  to  be  met  with 
a  polite  regret  that  there  is  no  news.  A  little 
pointed  questioning,  if  the  reporter  knows  any- 
thing of  the  work,  almost  invariably  brings  to 
light  some  items  of  which  the  secretary  or  pas- 
tor had  not  thought.  Eeligious  men  may  be 
able  to  learn  from  what  others  have  done,  some- 
thing of  what  newspapers  want,  and  thus  better 
equip  themselves  to  take  advantage  of  all  the 
agencies  willing  to  assist  their  work. 

[30] 


TRAINING     FOR     SERVICE 


The  Publicity  Commission  in  another  part  of 
its  report  says:  "If,  as  has  been  cleverly  said, 
whoever  makes  goodness  uninteresting  sins 
against  virtue,  then  the  preachers  and  editors 
who  are  responsible  for  the  dreary  stretches  of 
mechanically  bulletined  ' church  notices'  in  the 
daily  papers  instead  of  live  and  varied  and  well 
displayed  religious  intelligence,  have  a  formid- 
able account  to  settle  somewhere.  The  ingenuity 
of  the  evil  one  could  scarcely  devise  a  more 
successful  method  for  making  the  churches  seem 
cheap,  trivial,  stupid  and  unattractive  than 
those  solid  columns  of  free  advertisements. " 

Dr.  Talcott  Williams,  director  of  the  Pulitzer 
School  of  Journalism  at  Columbia  University, 
has  suggested  that  denominations  in  each  large 
city  should  unite  to  open  a  central  office  in 
charge  of  a  man  capable  of  earning  $5,000  a 
year  or  more  to  disseminate  religious  informa- 
tion. Such  a  plan  has  been  under  contempla- 
tion by  the  Laymen's  Missionary  Movement 
and  the  Missionary  Education  Movement  and 
similar  agencies  and  may  be  put  into  operation 
before  this  is  printed.  This  is  a  good  way  to 
obtain  general  publicity,  but  it  is  not  possible 
to  hire  press  agents  in  every  town,  even  for 
part  time.  Where  such  arrangements  are  pos- 
sible, there  is  yet  large  room  for  the  exercise  of 
the  newspaper  instinct  by  pastors  and  laymen. 

No  expense  is  spared  to  train  men  to  be 
[31] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGRESS 

preachers,  secretaries  of  various  departments 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  or  heads  of  charities.  Few 
institutions  which  turn  out  men  for  these  posi- 
tions devote  time  to  giving  the  prospective 
graduate  any  instruction  in  the  art  of  interest- 
ing new  people  in  his  organization  through 
printer 's  ink.  Denominations  spend  large  sums 
in  training  men  for  three  years  to  analyze  the 
Bible  and  to  prepare  and  deliver  sermons.  Com- 
paratively little  time  is  spent  in  showing  future 
pastors  how  to  reach  the  mass  of  men  to  whom 
a  church  is  a  thing  to  be  avoided.  The  same 
lack  of  training  to  reach  men  by  other  than  per- 
sonal solicitation  exists  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  Year  after  year  courses  in  adver- 
tising are  given  in  association  night  schools  by 
experts.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  teaches  men  how  to 
persuade  others  to  buy  a  certain  brand  of 
goods;  it  is  the  exceptional  secretary  who 
attends  these  lectures  to  see  how  he  may  apply 
the  same  principles  in  persuading  men  to  buy 
his  brand  of  happiness  and  life  philosophy.  A 
few  associations  are,  however,  awaking  to  the 
need  of  education  in  publicity  methods. 

Summer  conferences  are  maintained  in  a 
score  of  mountain  and  lake  resorts  each  year 
in  America.  Men  and  women  are  trained  to 
conduct  classes  on  the  Bible  and  to  teach  mis- 
sions in  Sunday  school  and  Young  People's 
societies.  Expert  psychologists  deliver  lectures 

[32] 


TRAINING     FOR     SERVICE 


on  the  handling  of  boys  and  girls  of  all  ages. 
Men  of  experience  explain  the  sort  of  facts  which 
should  be  given  children  at  certain  stages  of 
development.  The  nature  of  the  boy,  moral,  in- 
tellectual and  physical  from  the  cradle  to  man- 
hood is  dissected;  the  entire  field  of  education 
of  all  sorts  within  the  church  and  its  allied  insti- 
tutions is  canvassed.  Now,  if  it  is  worth  while 
to  teach  a  man  to  lead  a  mission  study  class  of 
twenty  to  thirty  members  in  his  church,  why  is 
it  not  worth  while  to  teach  a  man  to  write  mis- 
sions for  the  instruction  of  twenty  or  thirty 
thousand  of  his  townsmen?  Why  would  it  not 
be  possible  to  establish  a  course  of  instruction 
in  religious  publicity  at  all  of  these  summer 
conferences?  Let  men  who  know  the  religious 
side  and  the  publicity  side  give  lectures  as  to 
the  best  way  of  reaching,  through  the  press, 
the  people  who  now  have  no  interest  in  missions, 
in  the  Bible,  or  in  their  fellow  men. 

The  eminent  churchmen  and  publicists  who 
studied  the  relation  of  the  church  and  press  for 
the  Men  and  Eeligion  Forward  Movement  say 
that  religious  men  must  get  more  of  the  news- 
paper instinct.  Is  it  feasible  to  teach  religious 
publicity  in  somewhat  the  same  manner  that 
journalism  is  taught  in  scores  of  colleges  and 
universities  of  the  country?  It  has  been  pre- 
dicted that  in  the  not  far  distant  future  the 
force  of  publicity  will  be  harnessed  in  this  way 

[33] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

for  the  further  development  of  the  church  and 
the  things  for  which  the  church  stands.  Let's 
be  about  it ! 

Then  again  theological  seminaries  might  with 
propriety  and  profit  offer  a  course  of  lectures 
on  publicity  by  city  editors,  or  by  religious 
editors  of  daily  papers.  From  the  standpoint 
of  the  man  outside  of  the  church  there  is  little 
use  in  knowing  how  to  preach  well  unless  there 
is  combined  with  it  a  knowledge  of  the  way  of 
persuasively  letting  the  public  know  that 
preaching  is  being  done.  A  church  is  not  a 
secret  society  seeking  to  benefit  only  a  selected 
few.  Training  for  a  life  as  pastor  without  some 
knowledge  of  the  art  of  publicity — for  the  work, 
not  the  worker — is  only  partial  preparation  for 
this  sacred  office. 

There  has  been  little  or  no  recognition  by  the 
church  of  the  change  in  the  last  two  or  three 
decades  in  the  ways  in  which  men  are  persuaded 
to  do  things.  When  all  people  went  to  church, 
it  was  the  minister's  main  duty  to  preach  to 
them.  When  only  a  very  small  proportion  of 
people  attend  church  it  becomes  his  task  to 
reach  those  outside,  as  well  as  to  preach  to 
those  inside.  Men  in  the  mass  can  be  reached 
through  advertising.  The  collection  of  money 
to  pay  for  advertisements,  the  writing  of  them, 
or  the  preparation  of  articles  for  the  news 
columns  can  be  in  other  hands  than  those  of  the 

[34] 


TRAINING     FOR     SERVICE 


pastor,  but  he  should  be  able  to  superintend 
the  work.  Thus  too,  should  leaders  in  other 
forms  of  non-commercial  enterprises  know 
something  of  publicity  rules. 

Study  of  the  way  in  which  news  articles  are 
written  and  actual  practice  in  preparing  items 
may  form  the  basis  for  instruction  in  publicity 
from  a  religious  standpoint.  A  keen  sense  for 
the  human  interest  in  events  is  essential  to  the 
best  results.  "Human  interest "  has  been  de- 
fined as  being  a  quality  of  those  events  which 
appeals  to  the  greatest  number  of  people.  An 
incident  concerning  a  child  who  daily  takes 
flowers  to  a  sick  old  woman  will  interest  more 
people  than  will  the  fact  that  the  First  Church 
gave  a  dinner  last  Thursday  "at  which  a  good 
time  was  had  by  all  present." 

At  a  conference  where  classes  in  religious 
publicity  are  conducted  an  editor  may  be  ob- 
tained who  will  take  items  concerning  that 
meeting,  written  by  the  class  as  though  for 
publication,  and  tell  what  is  wrong  with  them, 
with  reasons.  The  same  plan  can  easily  be 
arranged  in  connection  with  theological  semi- 
naries, training  schools  for  laymen,  and  similar 
institutions.  One  of  the  practical  things  the 
members  of  any  summer  conference  can  do  is  to 
prepare  an  account  of  the  meeting  for  publica- 
tion in  their  local  papers.  (See  Chapter  VIII.) 
Constant  alertness  for  news  items  by  the  execu- 

[35] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

tives  of  non-commercial  organizations  will  de- 
velop news  instinct.  Books  on  journalism  and 
allied  subjects  can  be  read  with,  profit.  (See 
Bibliography.) 

The  need  for  some  means  of  educating  lay- 
men in  publicity  work  is  expressed  in  the  report 
of  the  Publicity  Commission  referred  to  above : 
"Religious  workers  must  aid  in  a  very  practical 
way  in  gathering  and  presenting  to  the  news- 
papers material  of  positive  news  value  out  of 
the  life  of  the  church.  No  wise  newspaper  man 
discounts  the  value  of  much  that  occurs  in  the 
religious  world.  He  simply  avows  his  inability 
to  cover  the  field.  He  must  therefore  have 
efficient  help.  Not  abstracts  of  sermons  neces- 
sarily, but  things  that  advise  of  community 
progress  and  other  leading  features  out  of  the 
church  life,  of  vital  interest  to  the  reading  pub- 
lic. This  kind  of  cooperation  is  cordially  wel- 
comed by  the  newspaper  managers  with  the 
understanding  that  the  reporting  minister  must 
take  his  chance  with  the  rest  of  the  staff  on  his 
copy  meeting  the  ordinary  vicissitude  of  the 
editor's  office." 

Newspapers  and  other  publications  produce 
a  commodity — white  space — which  belongs  to 
them.  Editors  have  the  right,  in  fact  they  are 
employed,  to  put  into  their  white  space  only 
those  articles  which  will  further  the  object  for 
which  the  paper  is  published,  viz.,  cash  income, 

[36] 


TRAINING     FOR     SERVICE 


the  public  weal,  or  the  gratification  of  political 
ambition.  All  non-commercial  organizations 
whose  problems  are  here  studied  should  ap- 
proach editors  in  the  spirit  of  cooperation,  not 
with  requests  for  a  favor.  If  there  is  nothing 
about  one's  organization  which  will  produce 
news,  the  executive  head  of  it  should  see  that 
something  happens  which  may  be  news.  This 
does  not  mean  that  he  must  be  sensational. 
News,  in  terms  of  people,  consists  merely  of 
those  things  in  which  editors  think  most  per- 
sons will  be  interested,  and  they  hold  their 
places  because  they  are  good  judges  of  what 
the  people  want. 

The  ideas  of  an  editor  as  to  what  is  news 
may  be  changed  by  education  just-as  his  readers 
can  be  educated  to  want  certain  sorts  of  in- 
formation. This,  and  the  furnishing  of  news 
along  the  lines  of  the  editor's  present  light,  is 
the  job  of  the  man  who  would  ask  the  press  to 
cooperate  with  him  in  boosting  some  worthy 
public  non-commercial  institution.  To  treat  the 
editor  as  a  person  of  inferior  ability  or  of  low 
moral  standards  is  to  defeat  the  aim. 

As  publicity  is  little  more  than  an  application 
of  psychological  laws  which  govern  the  actions 
of  men  individually  and  in  crowds,  the  study  of 
psychology,  or  the  review  of  books  on  this 
science,  may  be  helpful  to  those  who  care  to  get 
beneath  the  surface  of  things.  LeBon  shows 

[37] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGRESS 

in  his  classic  that  crowds  tend  to  do  things  from 
impulse  rather  than  reason.  He  also  lays  down 
the  law  that  the  conscious  life  of  the  individual 
is  of  small  importance  in  comparison  with  the 
unconscious  knowledge  that  they  have  been  in- 
fluenced by  advertising.  The  unconscious  im- 
pression received  from  a  variety  of  sources 
accomplishes  the  purpose.  It  naturally  follows 
that  if  a  man  can  be  led  to  do  a  thing,  or  take 
an  interest  in  an  institution,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  following  a  subconscious  impulse,  much 
has  been  gained  toward  making  him  a  perma- 
nent friend. 

Imagine  a  colporteur  starting  out  every  morn- 
ing at  four  o'clock  or  earlier  with  a  pile  of 
30,000  tracts  which  are  to  be  placed  in  homes 
by  breakfast  time  for  people  glad  to  receive 
them.  Suppose  the  same  work  were  done  also 
in  the  evening.  Imagine  a  suave  man  handing 
to  weary  travelers  on  trains,  in  stations  or  on 
steamships,  word  of  the  latest  advance  in 
Christ's  kingdom.  Suppose  another  should 
visit  the  homeless  on  the  benches  in  the  parks, 
the  lodging  houses  and  back  rooms  of  saloons, 
Nor  must  the  vision  leave.out  the  rural  districts 
with  the  thousands  of  widely  scattered  farm 
houses  whose  inhabitants  have  little  time  to 
visit  with  their  neighbors.  Into  most  of  these 
homes  will  go  a  colporteur  each  week  or  oftener 
with  a  message  of  hope.  But  if,  entranced  at 

[38] 


TRAINING     FOR     SERVICE 


this  prospect  for  doing  good,  one  should  awake 
at  thought  of  the  expense,  we  can  answer  it 
may  be  done  by  prayerful  and  intelligent  co- 
operation with  the  daily  press.  Can  a  man  who 
has  once  caught  a  small  portion  of  such  a  vision 
content  himself  with  a  mere  'announcement  of 
the  theme  of  his  sermon  I  There  is  better  news, 
more  live,  more  gripping,  more  productive  for 
good  to  humanity  than  that.  But  the  man  who 
seeks  must  be  keen,  and  not  a  novice;  he  must 
know  news  values ;  must  be  familiar  with  some 
of  the  mechanics  of  newspaper  making.  Such 
knowledge  can  be  obtained.  It  surely  is  worth 
the  effort. 


[39] 


CHAPTER  III 

HINTS  ON  SEEING  AND  WRITING 
NEWS 


Publicity  must  be  considered  from  standpoint  both  of 
those  inside  and  of  those  outside  the  organization — Put 
specific  facts  to  the  front  in  ads  or  news — Study  how  news 
is  written  in  papers — Comment  is  not  news — Examples  of 
relative  news  values. 


CHAPTER  III 

HINTS   ON    SEEING   AND   WHITING   NEWS 

IN  the  analysis  of  any  publicity  problem,  ac- 
count must  be  taken  of  efforts  directed 
first,  at  those  already  within'  the  organiza- 
tion and  second,  at  those  outside.  It  is  neces- 
sary that  members  be  given  information  about 
what  is  going  on  in  the  institution  which  they 
support  in  order  that  their  interest  may  be 
retained.  The  supporters  are  in  fact  entitled  to 
it  for  the  money  they  contribute.  An  institu- 
tion of  600  or  1,000  members,  like  a  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
has  many  varied  activities,  which,  if  all 
members  know  about,  will  incite  their  greater 
interest.  The  same  growth  of  interest  is  pos- 
sible likewise  in  an  organization  like  the  City 
Club  of  Chicago  or  New  York.  If  the  members 
know  what  the  various  committees  are  doing,  it 
tends  to  bind  them  closer  to  the  work  which  they 
all  hope  to  do. 

Any  association  which  seeks  to  raise  society 
to  a  higher  plane  needs  also  the  moral  support 
of  others  in  its  work — those  who  may  in  fact 
never  be  members  of  the  organization.  An  anti- 
tuberculosis  society,  for  example,  may  never  en- 
roll as  members  the  people  in  congested,  poorly 

[43] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGRESS 

ventilated  quarters  whom  it  hopes  to  reach,  but 
the  people  in  such  quarters  can  be  aided  by 
intelligent  publicity  in  their  efforts  to  prevent 
consumption.  Church  members  are  commanded 
by  their  Leader  to  carry  the  gospel  to  all  people. 
Many  persons  can  be  reached  through  printer's 
ink  who  would  listen  with  scoffs,  if  at  all,  to  an 
individual. 

This  two-fold  phase  of  publicity  of  voluntary 
organizations  must  be  faced  at  all  times,  and 
often  the  failure  of  advertising  campaigns  comes 
through  ignorance  or  a  misunderstanding  of 
the  different  classes  who  should  be  reached. 
Girls  in  a  factory,  for  example,  have  little  in- 
terest in  the  sum  spent  for  repairs  about  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  building  which  they  have  never 
entered.  A  statement,  however,  showing  that 
an  average  of  21  girls  a  day  attended  night 
school  classes  and  that  of  the  total  number  15 
had  better  paying  positions  at  the  end  of  the 
year,  would  probably  cause  a  stranger  to  the 
association's  work  to  think  of  joining. 

The  use  of  newspaper  publicity  is  more  or 
less  a  matter  of  education.  Directors  of  some 
philanthropic  organizations  have  had  perchance 
unfortunate  experiences  with  reporters  and 
scorn  to  use  daily  papers.  Others  think  it  is 
impossible  to  do  good  through  them  and  fail 
to  make  the  effort.  In  some  cities  there  is 
'fortunately  the  largest  possible  cooperation  be- 

[44] 


SEEING    AND    WRITING    NEWS 

tween  all  agencies  for  .good  with  common  appre- 
ciation of  the  opportunity  and  the  results  ob- 
tained have  been  most  encouraging. 

Advertising  for  the  sort  of  institutions  under 
consideration  varies  with  the  class  of  people  to 
be  reached  and  the  amount  of  money  available. 
The  same  human  interest  qualities,  however, 
which  must  be  present  in  publicity,  bring  in- 
creasingly better  results  if  they  are  applied  to 
advertising.  A  recent  ad  in  the  magazines  was 
headed,  "The  Dictaphone  saves  you  the  cost  of 
the  stamp  on  every  letter  you  mail. ' '  This  was 
accompanied  by  a  picture  of  three  letters  ready 
to  leave  the  office.  The  heading  undoubtedly  got 
more  attention  than  if  the  expensive  space  had 
been  occupied  by  the  same  matter  but  headed, 
"The  Dictaphone  saves  you  money."  The 
specific  and  definite  fact  always  reaches  people 
most  quickly.  Another  recent  heading  of  a  page 
ad  which  cost  many  hundreds  of  dollars  was, 
"Let  this  book  guard  your  pantry  door."  A 
mediocre  man  would  have  written,  "This  book 
explains  adulterations  of  food,"  and  probably 
would  have  received  the  lesser  rewards  which 
lack  of  brain  power  usually  entails. 

This  effort  by  high-priced  ad  writers  to  use 
psychology  on  casual  readers  of  a  magazine 
brings  proportionate  results  in  other  lines  of 
endeavor.  The  minister  who  begins  a  sermon 
on  the  prodigal  son  with:  "A  certain  man  had 

[45] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGEESS 

two  sons :  one  was  bad  and  the  other  was  worse/' 
takes  his  audience  by  surprise,  and  holds  it,  if 
the  rest  of  the  sermon  is  as  good  as  the  opening 
sentence.  In  the  same  way  the  religious  worker 
who  writes  an  item  for  the  press  must  begin 
with  a  specific  fact  and  leave  generalization  for 
the  editorial  writer  or  the  writer  of  history. 
One  kindly  old  pastor  who  probably  belongs  to 
the  class  that  begins  sermons  with  the  creation 
invariably  starts  items  to  his  church  paper 
something  like  this : 

"In  1856  a  home  missionary  visited  the 
San  Juan  valley  and  established  three 
preaching  stations.  They  grew  and  flour- 
ished and  at  different  times  larger  build- 
ings were  necessary  to  accommodate  the 
increasing  crowds  which  came  with  the 
settlement  of  the  country.  Last  week  the 
cornerstone  was  laid  for  a  new  building  for 
Blankville  church. " 

The  most  important  part  of  that  item  is  in  the 
last  sentence,  and  yet  it  received  only  incidental 
mention.  Space  for  historical  data  is  very 
limited  in  modern  periodicals,  unless  they  have 
a  direct  significance  for  the  present  day. 

Principles  of  news  writing,  hinted  at  here, 
apply  to  all  efforts  to  reach  people.  They  are 
based  on  what  busy  editors  have  found  the 
people  want,  and  if  one  desires  to  obtain  and 

[46] 


SEEING    AND    WRITING    NEWS 

hold  the  interest  of  readers,  he  must  follow 
the  line  of  least  resistance. 

Because  a  man  can  write  a  good  sermon  it 
may  follow  that  he  can  write  a  good  news  article. 
Or  it  may  prove  the  opposite.  It  is  well 
worth  while  studying  how  to  put  news  in  the 
best  shape.  Such  study  bears  fruit  in  more 
news  ideas.  Not  a  few  Christian  Associations 
and  churches  leave  the  preparation  of  their 
printed  matter,  announcements,  cards  and  bul- 
letins, to  more  or  less  inexperienced  persons. 
Commercial  organizations  on  the  contrary  pay 
as  high  prices  for  brains  to  prepare  printed 
matter  as  they  do  to  managers,  and  not  in- 
frequently the  director  of  publicity  is  one  of 
the  highest  paid  officials  in  a  corporation. 

The  value  of  space  and  of  words  needs  to  be 
impressed  on  most  men  who  have  never  paid 
$900  for  a  page  of  magazine  space  or  laid  out 
$14  for  one  line  of  very  small  print  in  a 
woman's  journal.  A  newspaper  can  get  only 
so  many  lines  into  a  column  and  the  number  of 
words  to  a  line  can  be  increased  only  by  packing 
more  ideas  into  each  word.  Ministers  may  use 
3,500  words  in  a  sermon.  An  ad  writer  may  have 
to  be  content  with  400  to  persuade  a  man  to  do 
what  he  wishes — to  convert  him.  When  one  is 
buying  space  he  can  take  as  much  as  he  can  pay 
for;  when  he  is  sending  news  to  a  paper,  his 
item  must  take  rank  in  importance  with  items 

[47] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

from  all  over  the  world,  and  on  the  day  a  Titanic 
sinks  his  item  may  never  be  thought  of.  Every 
news  item  should  be  packed  so  full  of  meaning 
that  curtailment  of  a  single  word  means  the 
elimination  of  an  idea.  Such  phrases  as  "some 
twenty  persons  attended "  can  be  cut  a  word 
and  strength  gained.  "This  church  is  the 
strongest  of  all  the  churches  in  the  great  inland 
empire  of  the  San  Juan "  can  be  improved  and 
space  saved  by  eliminating  "of  all  the"  and 
changing  "churches"  to  "congregation." 

Editorial  comment  should  never  be  permitted 
in  news,  although  thousands  of  papers  in 
small  places  allow  the  reporter  large  latitude. 
No  one  outside  the  office  should,  however,  be  so 
presuming  as  to  ask  the  paper  to  make  his 
opinion  its  own.  "Mr.  John  Finlayson,  leader 
of  the  Apollo  Glee  Club,  is  also  director  of  the 
double  quartet  in  this  church,  and  a  very  effi- 
cient leader  he  is,"  is  the  way  one  zealous  pastor 
tried  to  get  an  editor  to  commend  a  friend  of 
the  contributor.  Mr.  Finlayson  probably  is  as 
efficient  as  the  pastor  says,  but  the  pastor 
ought  not  to  ask  the  editor  thus  baldly  to  en- 
dorse him.  The  same  effect  as  the  commenda- 
tion might  have  been  obtained  by  stating  facts 
which  show  his  efficiency.  It  is  very  easy  for 
one  accustomed  to  expressing  his  opinion  in 
pulpit  or  on  platform  to  interject  into  news- 
paper copy  statements  which  are  opinion  rather 

[48] 


SEEING    AND    WHITING    NEWS 

than  facts.  The  presence  of  comment  immedi- 
ately tells  a  newspaperman  that  the  writer  is 
a  novice,  or  one  who  is  seeking  to  slip  an  opinion 
past  the  editor. 

The  suggestion  that  pride  of  authorship  must 
be  subdued  is  one  of  the  first  needed  lessons 
for  the  amateur  news-gatherer.  The  first  good 
story  that  a  certain  editor  wrote  in  the  first 
week  of  his  connection  with  a  metropolitan 
paper  concerned  the  completion  of  the  fund  for 
a  new  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building.  With  a  desire  to 
impress  the  community  with  something  of  the 
honor  it  had  done  itself  in  raising  the  large 
fund,  the  article  departed  somewhat  from  the 
facts  to  comment  on  the  act.  The  way  that 
story  was  chopped  up  by  the  city  editor  taught 
the  cub  reporter  a  lesson  that  he  never  forgot. 

Unless  a  man  has  been  "through  the  mill"  of 
the  city  room  it  is  hard  to  understand  why 
changes  are  made  in  copy.  Sometimes  an  item 
or  article  may  be  printed  just  as  written.  The 
next  item  may  be  cut  to  one-fifth  the  space,  or 
enlarged,  or  not  used  at  all.  Always  there  is 
the  probability  on  well  edited  papers  that  words 
or  sentences  will  be  changed.  Each  paper  has 
its  own  style  on  certain  matters.  Each  copy 
reader  and  editor  who  handles  the  copy  may 
think  a  word  or  sentence  might  be  improved, 
and  makes  the  change.  Another  day  an  influx 
of  ads  may  crowd  the  news  columns  and  all  but 

[49] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

the  first  paragraph  of  an  item  is  killed.  At 
another  time  there  may  be  a  human  interest 
touch  in  an  item,  unseen  by  the  writer,  which 
appeals  to  the  editor  and  the  story  is  "  played 
up.7' 

A  news  story  often  does  not  follow  the  same 
chronological  sequence  as  do  the  minutes  of  a 
meeting.  Good  reporters'  who  may  attend  a 
Y.  M.  0.  A.  band  concert  at  which  an  old  settler 
is  overcome  by  the  heat  and  dies  as  the  last 
piece  is  being  played,  mention  the  death  of  the 
man  first.  The  concert  becomes  a  mere  incident 
to  the  reporter,  because  the  unfortunate  death 
has  altered  the  news  values.  In  the  same  way 
at  the  dedication  of  a  church  or  at  the  com- 
mencement exercises  of  a  college  there  may  be 
some  event,  not  vitally  related  to  the  main 
program,  which  is  of  more  interest  to  a  large 
number  of  persons  than  the  mere  fact  that  the 
exercises  were  held.  Wabash  college  not  long 
ago  gave  diplomas  to  two  men  who  went  to  war 
in  their  senior  year  a  half  century  before.  That 
fact  had  more  human  interest  than  the  name  of 
the  commencement  speaker,  or  an  account  of 
the  decorations  at  class  day,  even  though  the 
gathering  of  the  flowers  may  have  occupied  the 
attention  of  fifty  persons  for  two  days.  The 
getting  of  a  diploma  after  fifty  years  is  different 
from  other  things;  every  college  has  a  com- 
mencement every  year. 

[50] 


SEEING    AND    WRITING    NEWS 

At  the  laying  of  a  cornerstone  of  a  Methodist 
church  in  Cedar  Eapids,  Iowa,  the  chief  speaker 
was  Bishop  Homer  C.  Stuntz.  He  preached  a 
sermon  showing  how  the  Jewish  people  built  a 
temple  before  they  constructed  a  fort  or  any 
other  building.  He  told  of  the  importance  of 
church  buildings  and  the  large  returns  from  an 
investment  in  such  a  structure.  He  compli- 
mented the  architectural  arrangement  of  the 
growing  building,  said  it  was  unique,  and  re- 
lated a  conversation  he  had  had  a  month  before 
with  Colonel  Goethals  at  the  Panama  Canal. 
The  colonel  told  the  bishop  that  if  he  found  a 
church  well  adapted  to  the  religious  needs  of 
the  Canal  Zone  to  send  him  plans,  as  he  wanted 
to  build  a  $175,000  union  church  for  the  people 
there.  The  plans  of  this  church  were  to  be 
recommended  to  Colonel  Goethals. 

Obviously  the  most  important  thing  to  the 
Methodists  who  put  their  money  into  the  build- 
ing was  the  fact  that  the  high  church  dignitary 
was  present,  and  that  the  cornerstone  was  laid. 
People  of  all  faiths  would  have  been  interested 
to  know  that  the  government  was  to  build  a 
union  church  at  the  Canal.  That  the  Cedar 
Kapids  church  was  to  be  recommended  as  a 
model  would  appeal  to  and  interest  every  per- 
son in  Iowa  as  well  as  every  person  outside  of 
the  state  who  was  a  member  of  a  congregation 
which  was  planning  a  new  building.  The  news 

[51] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

instinct  would  dictate  the  placing  of  the  fact 
of  largest  interest  at  the  beginning  of  the 
article,  no  matter  whether  it  came  to  light  at 
the  first  or  last  of  the  exercises  as  held. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  newspaper  report  of 
the  exercise  the  next  morning  started:  "Im- 
pressive services  marked  the  laying  of  the  cor- 
nerstone .  .  .  Bishop  .  .  .  preached  a  sermon 
.  .  .  splendid  tribute  to  manhood  .  .  .  seven 
other  ministers  assisted. "  Then  followed  a 
recounting  of  the  exercises,  step  by  step  from 
the  text  of  the  sermon,  and  as  the  last  sentence 
of  a  paragraph,  half  a  column  down  the  page: 
"He  said  he  had  been  requested  by  a  pastor  in 
Panama  for  suitable  plans  for  a  union  church, 
and  said  that  these  were  the  plans  he  was  going 
to  recommend."  The  misstatement  of  fact,  as 
well  as  the  loose  construction,  shows  that  a  cub 
reporter  was  "on  the  job."  Probably  he  never- 
had  heard  of  Colonel  Goethals,  and  missed 
utterly  the  significance  of  the  statement  of  the 
bishop. 

It  is  true  that  church  news  is  very  often 
handled  in  smaller  cities  by  the  youngest  mem- 
ber of  the  local  newspaper  staff.  Even  in  cities 
of  30,000  people,  there  may  be  only  a  city  editor 
and  two  or  three  reporters  to  gather  all  the 
news.  Wages  are  not  high  and  results  often 
are  ridiculous  to  church  members.  This  makes 
it  the  more  necessary  that  some  one  in  connec- 

[52] 


SEEING    AND    WBITING    NEWS 

tion  with  the  churches  be  trained  to  sense  news 
values  of  the  religious  life  of  a  community  and 
to  assist  reporters. 

In  addition  to  the  prime  requisite  in  news 
writing  of  putting  the  most  important  part  of 
the  news  in  the  first  part  of  an  item,  there  are 
minor  matters  of  English  composition  over 
which  ministers  are  as  prone  to  stumble  as  are 
editors  themselves  who  turn  from  editing  to 
original  writing.  When  an  editor  runs  across 
a  sentence  like  the  following  his  blue  pencil  has 
a  habit  of  making  heavy  marks  across  the  whole 
of  it.  He  has  no  time  to  repair  the  English, 
unless  it  is  a  very  important  item: 

"Mrs.  Mary  Clark  Barnes  author  of  the 
Study  book  on  Immigration  also  President 
of  the  Fireside  League,  and  Author  of  a 
primer  for  teaching  English  to  the  Immi- 
grants showed  very  clearly  how  every  one 
could  aid  in  this,  which  she  proved  to  be  the 
immigrant's  greatest  need  for  his  protec- 
tion. " 

This  is  just  the  way  it  reached  a  paper,  punctu- 
ation and  capitalization  included.  It  took  three 
editors  to  decide  just  what  the  writer  had  tried 
to  say. 

News  is  not  news  unless  it  is  timely.  How- 
ever interesting  may  have  been  the  action  of  a 
convention  a  year  ago,  no  newspaper  will  spend 

[53] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

space  on  it  unless  there  is  some  present  appli- 
cation. The  mere  fact  that  an  occurrence  has 
never  been  printed  is  seldom  a  reason  for  print- 
ing it.  An  Oklahoma  church  was  dedicated  June 
8 ;  the  report  was  written  June  17  and  reached  a 
denominational  paper  June  23,  in  time  for  the 
issue  of  July  3 — nearly  a  month  after  the  exer- 
cises. It  lost  its  value  on  the  way.  The  explana- 
tion of  a  correspondent  that,  because  he  had 
only  one  item,  he  did  not  send  until  July  7 
the  account  of  the  death  of  a  minister  which 
occurred  May  14,  is  almost  childish. 

To  gain  and  retain  the  respect  of  editors, 
church  news  must  measure  up  well  to  news  from 
other  sources.  To  ask  an  editor  to  publish 
routine  announcements  as  news  cheapens  the 
church  in  his  eyes.  So  too  do  poorly  prepared 
copy  and  unintelligible  sentences.  The  church 
demands  efficiency  in  this  as  well  as  in  the  writ- 
ing of  sermons. 


[54] 


CHAPTER  IV 
SOME  WAYS  OF  GETTING  PUBLICITY 


At  least  two  uses  for  every  idea — Commercial  and  church 
example — Publicity  in  country  towns — In  small  and  large 
cities — Publicity  for  national  organizations — Some  news- 
paper secrets — Getting  mission  news  into  daily  papers — 
Treat  reporter  as  friend — Don't  seek  publicity  unless  facts 
will  bear  it — Churches  must  take  publicity  going  and 
coming. 


CHAPTER  IV 

SOME    WAYS    OF    GETTING    PUBLICITY 

THE  man  who  is  able  to  see  the  things 
which  have  news  value  and  who  can 
write  them  in  acceptable  news  style  has 
gone  most  of  the  way  towards  reaching  the 
public  through  the  press.  ,  Such  a  man  must, 
however,  know  some  of  the  publicity  avenues 
in  his  vicinity  in  order  to  be  of  the  largest  pos- 
sible use  to  the  cause  he  represents.  Every 
"publicity  man"  must  remember  that  each  idea 
has  at  least  two  most  excellent  uses,  and  some- 
times one  idea  can  serve  half  a  dozen  purposes. 
If  an  idea  is  worth  the  name  it  means  that  a 
thing  more  or  less  new  to  the  cause  to  which 
it  is  applied  has  come  to  the  front.  The  idea 
must  be  put  into  operation  to  do  good  to  the 
organization,  and  then  may  be  used  as  the  germ 
of  a  news  story  which  may  be  used  to  advertise 
the  work  through  the  appropriate  channels. 

A  commercial  illustration  of  a  well-worked 
many  sided  idea  was  the  taking  of  a  linotype 
machine  by  the  Great  Northern  Railway  in  a 
baggage  car  of  a  special  train  which  accom- 
panied the  Glidden  auto  tourists  in  1913  from 
St.  Paul  to  Glacier  National  Park.  This  ma- 
chine and  accessories  made  possible  the  publi- 

[57] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PE  OGRESS 

cation  of  a  daily  newspaper  for  the  autoists. 
The  idea  was  worked  to  add  novelty  to  the 
trip  and  to  interest  other  tourists  in  the  railway 
and  the  park.  The  story  of  this  traveling  news- 
paper was  worth  considerable  space  in  all  daily 
papers  along  the  route  and  less  space  in  dailies 
of  large  cities  at  a  distance.  The  idea  was  thus 
used  twice.  But  the  trade  papers  of  the  news- 
paper profession  were  interested  in  it.  They 
printed  stories.  The  papers  of  the  printing 
trades  were  also  concerned,  and  the  automobile 
papers  were  more  than  glad  to  get  something 
different.  The  trade  papers  of  the  railways 
can  also  be  counted,  and  the  whole  affair,  with 
the  publicity  it  got  for  the  road,  was  itself 
worth  space  in  advertising  publications.  The 
idea  had  at  least  seven  good  uses  and  perhaps 
the  list  is  not  exhausted,  for  electric  power 
was  used  to  run  the  press  and  linotype,  so  elec- 
trical papers  would  probably  have  used  a  story. 
In  the  same  way,  with  non-commercial  asso- 
ciations a  good  idea  must  not  be  allowed  to 
stagnate  by  being  confined  to  the  place  of  origin. 
The  plan  of  Bible  study  credits  in  connection 
with  North  Dakota  high  schools  was  used  not 
only  to  reach  high  school  pupils  of  that  state, 
but  papers  of  all  denominations  printed  stories 
about  the  scheme.  Bible  study  publications 
were  interested,  and  so  too  were  educational 
papers,  to  say  nothing  of  daily  papers  in  many 

[58] 


WAYS    OF    GETTING    PUBLICITY 

cities.  The  publicity  man,  or  any  committee 
charged  with  handling  this  connecting  link  with 
outsiders,  must  be  keen  to  see  the  multitudinous 
uses  of  a  good  idea. 

An  idea  need  not  be  a  great  one  to  be  used  in 
many  ways.  If  a  boys'  club  is  organized  to 
keep  the  grass  of  the  church  lawn  in  good  con- 
dition, the  fact  can  be  told  other  congregations 
through  the  denominational  papers:-  This  will 
stimulate  similar  effort  in  other  churches.  The 
work  of  the  youngsters  can  be  told  to  members 
of  the  local  church  through  neighborhood  papers 
to  incite  them  to  take  more  interest.  Mean- 
while a  church  in  a  neighboring  state  has 
adapted  the  same  idea  and  has  a  class  of  girls 
organized  to  pull  weeds  from  the  church  lawn. 
The  news  of  this,  passed  around  the  same  way, 
will  stimulate  others.  There  is  no  end  to  the 
good  which  may  be  done  through  the  printed 
word. 

The  amount  and  kind  of  publicity  which  an 
organization  can  obtain  through  the  press  de- 
pends in  part  upon  the  size  of  the  town  in  which 
it  is  located.  A  country  town  of  upwards  of 
3,000  persons  often  has  no  daily  paper.  The 
larger  towns  of  this  class  do,  however,  have 
typesetting  machines  in  the  newspaper  offices. 
This  fact  has  a  bearing  on  the  length  of  copy 
which  may  be  offered  the  editor.  When  a  man 
must  set  each  letter  by  hand,  and  is  crowded 

[59] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

with  many  duties,  as  is  a  country  printer,  short 
copy  is  usually  looked  upon  with  the  greatest 
joy.  In  some  cases  longer  articles  are  welcome, 
but  pastors  must  be  careful  not  to  overstep 
their  privileges  and  offer  homilies  rather  than 
news. 

In  a  small  city  daily,  the  help  in  the  editorial 
end  of  the  paper  is  usually  not  plentiful.  There 
is  less  need  for  brevity  and  pastors  and  secre- 
taries of  organizations  under  consideration  here 
are  often  given  large  space.  Ingenuity  is 
needed,  however,  to  find  in  a  small  place  any 
considerable  amount  of  copy  sufficiently  inter- 
esting to  hold  the  attention  of  readers. 

In  a  town  or  city  of  from  25,000  to  200,000 
persons  there  is  more  news,  but  the  demand 
upon  the  space  of  the  papers  increases.  It  is 
often  possible,  however,  especially  in  Sunday 
editions,  to  get  fairly  large  representation. 
Good  pictures  are  usually  very  welcome.  The 
Sunbeam  Band  in  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  has  for  years 
had  two  columns  or  more  in  the  Sunday  paper 
filled  with  newsy  items  about  its  work  of  charity 
and  mercy.  In  cities  of  this  class  it  is  often 
profitable  to  induce  a  man  trained  in  news  to 
assume  charge  of  the  publicity  for  all  the 
churches,  or  other  associations.  Certainly 
reporters  who  usually  call  on  the  more  promi- 
nent organizations  should  be  assisted  in  getting 
live  news. 

[60] 


o. 
(in'c 
rUU. 


.the 
lay 

fe 

IK.. 

Ml 


Religious  Dews  notes  Gathered 
front  Chicago  ana  Cook  Countp 


the  observance  of  the  day  has  been  is- 
sued by  the  commission,  which  repre- 
sents ail  the  denominations  included  in 
the  Federal  Council  of  Churches  of 
Christ,  in  America. 

_v.     4.     ^ 

To  Aid  the  'Unemployed 

An  Industrial  plant  and  lodging- 
house  lor  unemployed  men  will  be  es- 
tablished in  connection  with  the  Grace 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  if  present 
plans  of  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  E.  L.  Wil- 
liams, are  carried  out.  The  work  will 
be  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  Chi- 
cago Christian  Industrial  League, 
whose  plan  of  dealing  with  the  unem- 
ployed has  been  adopted  by  organiza- 
tions in  Pittsburgh  and  New  York.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Williams  visited  Boston  to 
Inspect  an  industrial  plant  which  is 
conducted  in  connection  with  the^ Meth- 
odist church  in  that  city. 
-f-  •*•  -5- 

Drys  to  Talk  Politics 

"p'olitics  and  Politicians"  Is  one  of  the 
subjects  to  be  discussed  at  the  four-day 
conierence  of  Anti-Saloon  League  su- 
peiintendents,  workers  and  friends  -to 
be  held  in  the  Hotel  LaSalle  Aug.  3  to  7. 
The  states  represented  will  be  Illinois, 
Indiana,    Ohio,    Michigan,    Wisconsin. 
Minnesota,  Iowa,  Missoqri,  North   Da- 
kota, South  Dakota  and  Nebraska.  *• 
opening  address  will  be  delivered* 
Rev.  P.  A.  Baker,  superintendf 
Anti-Saloon  League  of   Arr' 
will  give  "A  Survey  of  tb' 
Hev.  George  B.  Sartor" 
rotary  of  the  Psesb* 
tension  board  of  f 
superintendent 
Saloon  Lea?* 
ing  Our  C' 
hibitior" 
be  *' 
Br" 


con 
woi 
chil 


IROl 

or  i 

and 

•1 

wh< 
sh» 
conl 


ar' 


Play,  Study  and  Work 
At  Vacation  Schools 

PLAY,  study  and  work-  ate  com- 
bined  at  the  vacation  Bible  schools 
whos.6  sessions  .opened  last  week  in 
numerous;  Chicago  cnurches.  No  books 
are  used.  Basket  weavmg'is  taugh^as 
is  also  biblical  geography  by  tneans  of 
maps  drawn  in  the  sand.  An  outing  is 
given  the  children  once  a  week  for  the 
purpose  of  nature  study.  Among  the 
churches  in.  which -schools  are  oper- 
ated are  the  folowing:  Jefferson  Park 
Presbyterian  ChUrch,  Aiken  Institute 
(Baptist,  Morgan  and  Monroe  streets; 
Lincoln  Street  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  Moody  Church.  Olivet  Insti- 
tute (Presbyterian),  Moo^y  Church  and 
Halsted  -Street '  Institutional  Church, 
Halsted  and  Nineteenth  streets. 

Chicago  Gets  C  E.  Meeting 

The  decision  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Illinois  Christian  En- 
deavor Union  to  hold  the  state  conven- 
tion in  Chicago  next  year  in  conjunuc- 
tion  with  the  international  and  world's 
Christian-  Endeavor  conventions,  will  be 
followed  by  similar  .decisions  by  other 
state  organizations,  according  to  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  leaders.  The,  four-day 
convention  of  the  Illinois  organization 
which  closed  last  night  at  Peoria  Is 
said  to  have  been  the  largest  conven- 
tion ever  held  by  the  Illinois  organi- 
zation. One  hundred  and  fifty  delegates 
attended  from  Chicago.  Plans  for  a 
law  enforcement  campaign  in  Chicago 
will  be  formulated  tonight  by  local  lead- 
ers in  harmony  with  the  resolutions 
adopted  by  the  convention,  which  pro- 
vides for'  a  statewide  campaign. 

To  Record  Experiences 

„  record  of  experiences  will  be  written 
fry  chairmen  of  subcommittees  of  th«» 
committee  of  100    which  managed  *' 
recent  International  Sunday  Schoo' 
vention  held  in  Chicago.    The  »• 
ces  together  with  suggestion 
ducting  the  work  of  each  r 
be  forwarded  to  the  N' 
school  leaders  to  gr 
preparations  for 
the  next  conye- 
in  that  city  *' 
the  mtou^ 
also  b" 
mltf 

Many  daily  papers  have  a  religious  news  department.     This  sample  is  from  The 
Chicago  Herald. 


WAYS    OF    GETTING    PUBLICITY 

In  cities  of  the  largest  class  opportunities 
for  large  space  for  non-commercial  organiza- 
tions usually  grow  smaller,  although  good  ideas 
of  publicity  " stunts"  find  proportionately  large 
rewards.  News  from  churches  and  charities 
must  in  large  measure  compete  with  news  of 
all  sorts  from  all  over  the  world,  and  to  be 
printed  must  be  of  the  greatest  interest.  Many 
papers,  however,  conduct  regular  departments 
devoted  to  news  of  the  organizations  under  dis- 
cussion. The  increase  in  the  space  devoted  to 
church  news  has  in  some  cities  been  rapid,  fol- 
lowing the  insertion  of  paid  advertisements  on 
the  part  of  the  united  churches.  The  Chicago 
Herald  each  Monday  prints  a  column  of  newsy 
notes  of  the  churches,  which  are  gathered  by  a 
Christian  Endeavorer  whose  hobby  is  church 
publicity,  and  who  does  this  as  a  service  to  the 
community.  The  Brooklyn  Eagle  among  other 
papers,  devotes  large  space  on  Monday  to  ser- 
mons. Other  dailies  handle  sermons  on  a  news 
basis,  taking  extracts  from  manuscripts  sent  by 
pastors  on  request  of  the  editor. 

In  large  cities  publicity  for  churches  can  be 
obtained  in  a  desirable  fashion  in  the  commu- 
nity papers,  of  which,  for  example,  there  are 
thirty  or  more  in  Chicago.  These  in  their  nature 
are  much  like  papers  in  small  cities  and  usually 
have  space  available  for  well  written  news  of 
local  associations. 

[63] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

According  to  the  scope  of  the  publicity  plans 
depends  the  use  of  the  various  means  of  pub- 
licity at  hand.  The  Associated  Press,  United 
Press,  and  other  nation-wide  agencies  use  only 
news  of  large  national  importance.  In  connec- 
tion with  national  conventions  of  all  sorts  it  is 
wise,  however,  to  write  a  month  or  more  in 
advance  of  the  assembling  of  delegates,  asking 
the  nearest  Associated  Press  agency  if  you  can 
render  any  assistance  in  connection  with  the 
convention.  A  program  will  give  needed  in- 
formation as  to  the  importance  of  the  gathering. 
Advance  copies  of  speeches  should  always  be 
on  hand  for  news  agencies.  Attention  to  this 
often  means  much  additional  publicity.  Many 
magazines  are  looking  with  increasing  favor  on 
uplift  articles,  and  several  have  recently  printed 
stories  of  phases  of  the  work  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
the  Anti-Saloon  League,  and  similar  agencies. 
The  Survey  of  New  York  has  syndicated  very 
interesting  social  articles  to  daily  papers. 

The  success  of  the  publicity  agents  of 
"Pastor"  Russell  in  getting  "plate  matter"  into 
papers,  often  at  a  cost  of  $6  a  page  to  the 
publisher,  indicates  one  of  the  many  unused 
opportunities  which  most  religious  organiza- 
tions are  allowing  to  slip  past.  Editors  of  some 
smaller  papers,  personally  interviewed,  say  they 
want  religious  matter  and  the  Eussell  material 
is  the  only  plate  matter  available. 

[64] 


WAYS    OF    GETTING    PUBLICITY 

In  publicity  of  all  sorts  for  the  organizations 
under  consideration  it  is  helpful  to  remember 
that  the  most  successful  merchants,  usually,  are 
those  who  make  their  announcements  easy  to 
read,  and  who  offer  specific  facts.  An  announce- 
ment must  be  grasped  in  a  few  words  to  get 
the  attention  of  the  largest  number  of  persons 
Any  circular  letter  to  men  should  on  this  ac- 
count be  short,  or  so  broken  by  paragraphs 
that  the  eye  can  grasp  the  details  easily. 

Never  force  a  reporter  to  leave  you  empty 
handed  after  applying  for  information.  If  you 
can't  give  the  facts  asked,  tell  him  where  he  can 
get  them,  or  give  him  something  which  will 
enable  him  to  get  some  news  from  his  visit  to 
you. 

News  for  Monday  morning  papers  is  usually 
more  scarce  than  for  any  other  issue  of  the 
week.  Mr.  Eoosevelt,  when  president,  frequently 
made  use  of  this  fact  and  released  stories  for 
Monday. 

If  papers  materially  change  the  items  you 
furnish,  try  to  discover  the  reason,  if  it  can  be 
done  without  seeming  to  criticize  the  editor  for 
running  his  own  business  as  he  likes.  Such 
knowledge  will  be  invaluable  in  further  pub- 
licity work. 

In  exceptional  cases  only  will  papers  print 
appeals  for  aid,  for  clothes  or  money,  unless  a 
paper  makes  it  a  policy  to  add  to  its  popularity 

[65] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

in  this  way.  The  approximate  result  of  an 
appeal  can  be  obtained,  and  with  the  full  con- 
sent of  the  editor,  by  furnishing  interesting 
facts  about  the  case  for  which  help  is  needed. 
When  a  man's  interest  is  aroused,  whether  it 
be  over  a  widow  with  seven  children,  or  over 
a  college  seeking  the  last  $5,000  of  an  endow- 
ment, the  money  will  follow. 

Posters  have  been  used  in  Massachusetts  and 
elsewhere  telling  of  the  harmful  effects  of  alco- 
holic liquor.  Bill  boards  have  been  used  in  a 
number  of  cities  by  churches  with  good  results. 

Missionaries  from  foreign  fields  on  trips 
through  the  home  land  by  registering  from  their 
stations  will  thus  attract  the  attention  of  re- 
porters in  cities  where  newsgatherers  scan  hotel 
registers  longing  for  something  unusual  which 
may  promise  a  good  story.  When  interviews 
are  requested,  the  missionary  has  a  most  excel- 
lent opportunity  to  get  straight  mission  news 
into  the  paper,  for  a  city  editor  will  admit  as 
facts,  in  a  direct  quotation,  much  information 
which  could  obtain  entrance  to  his  columns  in 
no  other  way. 

Pastors  who  expect  to  have  missionaries  oc- 
cupy their  pulpits  soon,  by  giving  the  local 
editors  or  reporters  facts  about  the  work  of  the 
missionary,  will  often  be  able  to  get  mission 
news  into  the  paper. 

The  possibilities  of  foreign  language  papers 
[66] 


WAYS     OF     GETTING     PUBLICITY 

in  connection  with  churches  and  charities  have 
not  been  sounded,  and  in  fact  such  papers  are 
used  for  this  purpose  but  little.  They  reach  a 
class  of  people,  which,  however,  is  often  touched 
by  no  direct  religious  influence. 

Bishop  Stuntz  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  obtained  three  pages  of  publicity  in  the 
papers  of  Buenos  Aires  for  the  first  Sunday 
school  rally  and  parade  ever  held  there.  The 
spectacular  always  appeals  to  papers,  as  it  does 
to  readers. 

Always  send  tickets  for  entertainments  and 
dinners  of  a  church  or  other  organization  to 
the  city  editor  of  each  paper.  He  will  prob- 
ably assign  a  reporter  to  cover  the  meeting. 
The  newspaper  man  who  is  made  at  home  at 
any  gathering  can  write  a  much  better  account 
than  can  one  who  is  treated  as  an  intruder  and 
stared  at,  until  he  takes  refuge  in  the  nearest 
saloon  or  pool  hall,  after  gathering  what  facts 
he  thinks  he  needs  from  the  man  nearest  the 
door. 

Advertising  is  a  good  deal  like  talking  to  your 
neighbor.  You  can't  get  nearly  so  much  atten- 
tion by  yelling  as  by  saying  something  inter- 
esting. One's  heart  must  be  put  into  anything 
which  is  expected  to  move  men,  and  the  story 
must  be  told  simply. 

Vindication  for  an  unjustly  accused  immi- 
grant with  definite  religious  news  was  pushed 

[67] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

into  four  Chicago  papers  on  the  day  after 
Thanksgiving — a  dull  day — by  careful  planning. 
A  Russian  convert  in  jail  many  weeks  accused 
of  arson  was  discharged  by  order  of  the  judge. 
He  told  his  story  at  a  mission  on  Thanksgiving 
and  reaffirmed  his  faith.  The  papers  were 
given  the  facts  and  were  glad  to  use  them.  It  was 
a  human  interest  story.  The  actual  discharge 
had  occurred  three  days  before.  By  having  the 
man  make  his  statement  at  the  mission  service, 
additional  publicity  value  was  given  the  inci- 
dent. Often  facts  can  thus  be  handled  in  such 
a  way  as  to  obtain  more  publicity  than  would 
be  justifiable  if  unrelated  to  each  other. 

Editorial  matter  included  in  news  items  often 
causes  the  whole  matter  to  be  rejected.  The 
Sunday  school  board  which  sends  out  items 
closing  with  an  appeal  to  ask  for  literature 
finds  its  news  emasculated  by  religious  papers. 
The  editorial  columns  are  for  opinion,  or  sug- 
gestion, and  the  editor  usually  wants  to  fill  that 
space  himself. 

Editors  cannot  be  fooled  often,  they  are  never 
fooled  twice.  No  one  connected  with  a  non- 
commercial organization  should  ask  for  pub- 
licity unless  there  are  facts  to  back  up  the 
stories.  There  must  be  actual  work  accom- 
plished of  sufficient  breadth  to  bear  the  pub- 
licity given.  Editors,  too,  are  quick  to  judge 
the  man  who  seeks  publicity  for  himself  rather 

[68] 


WAYS    OF     GETTING    PUBLICITY 

than  his  work,  and  are  as  quick  to  lose  respect 
for  the  one  who  asks  that  something  be  pub- 
lished, yet  insists  that  his  name  be  not  used, 
when  in  the  judgment  of  the  newspaper  man  a 
name  is  needed  as  authority  for  a  statement. 

Churches  or  associations  must  not  shrink 
from  publicity  if  there  is  aught  about  them 
which  is  not  clean  and  pure.  The  man  who 
asks  that  a  fact  be  suppressed  is  immediately 
an  object  of  suspicion  in  most  newspaper  offices. 
Editors  and  reporters  usually  are  ready  to  give 
every  one  a  square  deal.  If  an  unpleasant  in- 
cident develops  in  any  organization,  the  refusal 
of  an  officer  to  admit  that  he  knows  anything 
about  it  merely  whets  the  appetite  of  the  news- 
gatherer.  More  than  likely  the  reporter  is  then 
compelled  to  piece  together  scraps  of  informa- 
tion. In  its  semblance  to  truth  this  story  may 
do  the  organization  much  more  damage  than 
would  result  from  a  frank  exposition  of  the 
details  of  the  occurrence,  with  an  honest  appeal 
to  omit  embarrassing  details,  if  in  the  judgment 
of  the  city  editor  that  can  be  done  without 
sacrificing  any  of  the  obligations  under  which 
a  paper  rests  to  furnish  its  subscribers  with 
the  news. 


[69] 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  USE  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Appeal  of  pictures  is  universal — Need  not  use  all  of  a 
photograph  in  illustration — Zinc  or  half  tone? — Proper 
screen  of  half  tone  important — Two  colors  effective — 
Charts  are  easily  reproduced  in  newspapers. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   USE  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FEW  people  ever  get  so  old  as  to  lose  their 
childish  liking  for  pictures.  The  eye 
can  assimilate  more  facts  through  a 
picture  than  through  the  cumbersome  process 
of  constructing  a  mental  image  from  words. 
The  craze  for  moving  pictures  is  in  large  part 
based  on  this  fundamental  principle  which  all 
good  advertising  recognizes  and  uses. 

Not  all  forms  of  publicity  lend  themselves  to 
illustration,  but  in  publicity  for  churches  and 
philanthropic  institutions  now  under  consider- 
ation pictures  may  be  used  in  many  ways.  When 
there  is  an  opportunity  in  a  daily  paper  for  a 
descriptive  article  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  a  fresh 
air  camp,  or  a  home  for  convalescents,  photo- 
graphs of  scenes  connected  with -the  institution 
add  much  to  the  interest  with  which  the  article 
will  be  read.  The  same  is  true  of  booklets  of 
all  sorts,  whether  intended  for  distribution 
among  members  of  the  organization  or  to  at- 
tract the  interest  of  outsiders. 

In  paid  advertising,  pictures  have  been  and 
can  be  used  with  great  effect.  The  New  York 
Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the 
Poor  has  been  an  outstanding  example  of  insti- 

[73] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGKESS 

tutions  which  use  cuts  effectively  in  paid  adver- 
tising. Hundreds  of  people  will  recall  the  pic- 
ture of  Tenement  Tommy  and  other  waifs  who 
from  the  pages  of  magazines  have  spoken  to 
those  who  would  help  such  unfortunates.  Pic- 
tures of  children,  specially  children  uncon- 
sciously doing  something,  make  good  subjects. 

Care  must  be  taken  in  all  publicity  pictures 
to  get  photographs  which  illustrate  rather  than 
those  which  merely  adorn  the  subject  matter. 
Many  a  commercial  advertiser  may  use  the  face 
of  a  pretty  girl  to  draw  attention  to  his  wares. 
These  concerns  are  learning,  however,  that  un- 
less the  pretty  face  is  vitally  related  to  the 
product  for  sale,  the  attention  of  readers  sel- 
dom strays  from  the  face  to  the  text  about  the 
goods.  Familiar  examples  in  commercial  ad- 
vertising of  the  linking  of  the  picture  to  the 
matter  is  the  view  of  Gibraltar,  made  part  of 
the  Prudential  Life  Insurance  Company  by  its 
repetition.  The  Eastman  Kodak  Company 
naturally  can  use  pictures  easily  and  does  it 
effectively.  Automobile  companies  have  scoured 
the  country  for  new  ways  of  showing  pictures 
of  their  cars.  Most  such  ads  are  as  conven- 
tional as  is  the  advertisement  of  a  church  with 
nothing  but  a  picture  of  the  building,  unless  that 
church  is  or  can  be  made  to  be  distinctive  and 
meaningful. 

'Churches  or  colleges  in  their  advertising  can 

[74] 


H' 


"  Tenement   Tommy  " 
Asks  for 

A  Square  Deal 


lives  in   New   York's  stuffy 
tenement  district,  the  most  con- 
gested spot  in  America. 
In  his  sultry  three-room  home  there 
is  scarcely  space  to  eat  and  sleep.  His 
playground  is  the  blistering  pavement 
of  the  ill-sinelling  streets,  hemmed  in 
by  scorching  brick  walls. 

No  trees,  no  grass,  not  even  a  whiff 
of  fresh  air, — in  the  only  world 
Tommy  knows.  Ash  cans  are 
his  background,  and  the  rattle 
and  roar  of  traffic  his  environ- 
ment. 

Tommy's  widowed  mother  is 
broken  with  worry ;  his  sisters 
'and  brothers  are  as  pallid  and  frail  as 
he.     The  winter  struggle  has  sapped 
their  vitality.  They  are  starving  for  air. 
No  medicine  will  help  Tommy. 
What  he,  his  mother  and  the  other 
children  need  are :  a  chance  to  breathe 
something  pure  and  fresh, — a  taste  of 
sunshine   and   outdoor  freedom,— an 
outing  in  the  country  or  at  the  sea- 
shore.   But  between  Tommy  and  his  needs 
stands  poverty,  the  result  of  misfortune.    He 
must  suffer  just  as  if  it  were  all  his  fault. 

And  that  is  why  Tommy  appeals  for  a 
square  deal.  Nor  does  he  wish  you  to 
forget  his  mother,  or  his  "pals"  and  their 
mothers, — all  in  the  same  plight. 

This,  Association  every  summer  sends  thousands  of 
'Tenement  Tommies",  mothers  and  babies  to  the  country 
and  to  Sea  Breeze,  its  fresh  air  home  at  Coney  Island.  A 
dollar  bill,  a  five  dollar  check,  ->r  any  amount  you  care 
to  contribute,  will  help  us  to  answer  Tommy's  appeal. 

Send  contributions  to  Robert  Shaw  Minturn,  Treasurer. 
Room  204.  105  East  22nd  Street,  New  York  City. 


NEW  YORK  ASSOCIATION  FOR  IMPROVING 
THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  POOR 


SUGGESTIONS 

A  lawn  sociable  by 
your  class,  Sunday 
School  or  Club. 

A  card  party  at 
summer  hote 
camp. 

A  subscription  among 
your  friends. 


your 
l    or 


R.  FULTON  CUTTING.  President 


Ao  effective  appeal  for  funds  which  illustrates  use  of  an  "outline  cut.  ' 


USE    OF     ILLUSTRATIONS 


often  make  use  of  a  doorway,  a  gate,  or  a  tower 
as  an  illustration  and  as  a  trade  mark,  which, 
accompanying  all  advertising  matter,  adds  to 
the  effectiveness  of  the  text.  There  is  a  greater 
range  possible  to  colleges  than  to  churches,  al- 
though institutional  churches  afford  excellent 
opportunities  for  pictures  of  groups  studying 
or  working  in  class  room  or  gymnasium.  Col- 
leges may  get  good  action  pictures  at  athletic 
meets  and  class  contests.  Pictures  must,  how- 
ever, be  chosen,  with  due  regard  to  the  sort  of 
people  which  it  is  hoped  to  reach.  Men  and 
women  who  want  to  learn  stenography  and 
bookkeeping  to  furnish  them  a  livelihood  have 
little  interest  in  pictures  of  gospel  teams  which 
may  have  been  sent  out  by  a  school.  The 
interest  of  those  who  wish  to  fit  themselves  for 
immediate  earning  power  is  in  those  who  have 
through  that  school  obtained  good  positions. 
Pictures  of  these  former  pupils,  photographs  of 
the  business  houses  in  which  they  are  employed, 
or  diagrams  of  their  earning  power  before  and 
after  will  attract  possible  students. 

In  the  same  way,  a  Y.  W.  C.  A.  seeking  to 
draw  foreign  speaking  girls  to  its  building  may 
better  use  pictures  of  night  classes  or  social 
gatherings,  rather  than  a  photograph  of  a  group 
of  the  managers  of  the  institution.  The  class  to 
be  reached  should  be  appealed  to  through  pic- 
tures of  things  which  will  impel  them  to  act 

[77] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

as  you  wish.  Five  minutes  spent  in  imagina- 
tion with  those  whom  you  desire  to  attract  will 
do  much  to  prevent  the  use  of  less  effective 
pictures. 

Care,  too,  must  be  taken  to  choose  the  best 
part  of  the  best  picture.  Because  the  camera 
happened  to  include  a  certain  portion  of  a  crowd 
or  scene  is  no  reason  why  all  of  it  should  be 


The  prow  of  the  boat  outside  the  circle  gives  distinction  to  this  cut. 

shown  in  the  cut.  By  eliminating  those  por- 
tions of  the  photograph  which  are  not  specially 
relevant,  or  which  are  less  important,  the  essen- 
tial parts  of  a  picture  can  be  emphasized.  Two 
cardboard  right  angle  pieces  are  useful  to  move 
about  over  a  photograph  until  the  most  effective 
portions  of  the  picture  are  discovered. 

The  question  whether  the  cut  to  be  used  shall 
be  a  half-tone  or  a  zinc  etching  may  be  answered 
in  view  of  the  thing  to  be  portrayed  and  the 
kind  of  paper  on  which  the  cut  is  to  be  printed. 
A  half-tone  reproduces  the  light  and  shadow  of 

[78] 


USE    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


a  photograph.  A  zinc  etching  reproduces  only 
lines  and  can  be  made  best  from  a  drawing  on 
white  paper  with  india  ink.  Half-tones  for  best 
printing  require  a  smooth  finished  paper;  zinc 
etchings  may  be  printed  on  rough  or  smooth 
paper.* 

Half-tones  may  be  made  in  a  variety  of  ways 
with  corresponding  effects.  In  a  group,  when 
only  one  person  portrayed  is  wanted  for  the 
cut,  the  others  may  be  retouched  by  the  artist 
at  the  engraving  shop  without  injuring  the 
photograph.  If  the  picture  has  a  broken  sky 
line  it  often  is  effective  to  outline  the  cut,  so 
that  all  the  grey  effect  of  the  sky  is  cut  away. 
By  vignetting  the  figure  may  stand  out  with 
the  background  disappearing  gradually.  These 
processes  add  a  little  to  the  cost.  Wood  cuts, 
once  used  largely,  are  favored  for  some  sorts 
of  advertising  work,  but  need  not  be  considered 
here. 

A  stereotype  or  electrotype  is  a  printing  block 
made  from  a  half-tone  or  zinc  etching  or  from 
type,  by  depositing  metal  in  a  wax  or  pressed 
paper  impression  of  the  thing  to  be  copied.  As 
in  all  copying,  there  is  a  slight  loss  of  sharp- 
ness. Electrotypes  are  often  made  of  etchings 
or  half-tones  when  it  is  expected  that  originals 
will  be  worn  by  the  number  of  thousand  irnpres- 

*A  full  technical  discussion  of  cuts  may  be  found  in 
Stelzle's  "Successful  Church  Advertising." 

[79] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

sions  to  be  made  from  them.  "Mats,"  pressed 
paper  matrices,  may  be  sent  to  papers  having 
stereotyping  plants,  in  connection  with  some 
campaign  in  which  it  is  desired  to  have  a  certain 
diagram  or  figure  used  by  many  newspapers. 
Stereotypes  of  half-tones  should  be  used  cau- 
tiously and  only  when  one  is  familiar  with  the 
kind  of  work  done  by  the  shop  and  the  kind  of 
paper  on  which  it  is  expected  to  use  the  stereo- 
types. 

Half-tones  are  the  most  expensive  plates,  bar- 
ring those  designed  for  color  printing,  and  cost 
about  15  cents  a  square  inch  with  a  minimum 
charge  for  square  cuts  of  about  $1.50.  Thus  a 
cut  the  size  of  a  thumb  nail  costs  as  much  as 
a  plate  two  by  five  inches.  It  is  rarely  wise  to 
take  all  one  can  get  for  his  money,  however, 
as  the  space  in  which  the  cut  is  to  be  used,  is,  or 
ought  to  be,  too  valuable  to  waste  on  some- 
thing which  can  be  condensed  into  smaller  com- 
pass. Etchings  cost  6  cents  a  square  inch  or 
less,  with  a  minimum  of  about  60  cents.  Elec- 
trotypes are  cheaper. 

The  higher  the  finish  on  a  paper,  the  better 
printing  surface  it  presents  for  a  half-tone — 
and  the  more  it  costs.  The  difference,  however, 
between  good  and  poor  paper  on  a  small  job  is 
very  small.  A  rough  paper  cannot  be  used 
well  with  half-tones.  For  this  reason,  in  part, 
many  pictures  in  small  daily  papers  do  not 

[80] 


USE     OF     ILLUSTRATIONS 


print  clearly.     Larger  papers  make  their  own 
cuts  to  suit  their  conditions. 

Half-tones  are  composed  of  masses  of  small 
dots  closer  or  farther  apart  for  shade  or  light. 
These  are  formed  by  the  crossing  of  fine  lines 
in  a  screen  placed  in  front  of  the  plate  during 
the  process  of  making  the  half-tone.  These 
screens  have  a  certain  number  of  lines  to  the 
square  inch,  and  the  screen  must  be  specified,  or 
indicated,  when  a  half-tone  is  ordered.  The 
screen  for  Newspaper  cuts  is  about  65,  for  maga- 
zines and  books  120  to  150.  For  general  use  in 
circulars  and  booklets  120  and  133  screen  will 
usually  be  found  serviceable. 

In  attempting  to  get  pictures  into  large  daily 
papers,  or  weekly  or  monthly  publications,  it  is 
usually  wise  to  send  photographs  rather  than 
cuts,  unless  inquiry  has  first  been  made.  The 
screen  of  a  half-tone  may  not  be  right,  or  the 
size  may  not  at  all  fit  in  with  the  editor's  idea 
of  "make  up.'7 

The  use  of  two  colors  in  a  booklet  or  similar 
piece  of  advertising  gives  it  many  of  the  at- 
tractive qualities  of  an  illustrated  job.  A  pretty 
effect  may  be  obtained  by  printing  a  light  tint 
as  a  background,  or  as  a  delicate  border  on 
each  page  of  a  booklet.  Half-tones  always  print 
best  with  black  ink  on  white  paper.  Colored 
paper  or  colored  ink  usually  detract  from 
sharpness  of  cuts. 

[81] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

On  a  job  for  which  considerable  money  is 
available,  some  of  it  can  well  be  spent  on  art 
work  on  photographs.  A  woods  scene  with  a 
winding  road  can  be  made  so  that  the  road 
winds  into  the  printing  matter.  Hand  lettering 
by  artists  on  a  half-tone  is  also  effective  at 
times. 

A  picture  speaks  the  language  of  every  nation 
and  every  age.  If  charts  are  effective  in  a 
lecture  before  300  people  they  will  be  fully  as 
effective  when  printed  in  a  paper  reaching 
30,000  homes.  Where  there  is  a  campaign 
covering  a  city  or  state,  and  statistics  can  be 
used,  charts  showing  the  figures  in  graphic  form 
will  drive  the  lesson  home.  When  charts  are 
planned  for  a  certain  newspaper  space,  a  column 
for  example,  they  should  be  proportioned  so 
as  not  to  take  up  more  space  lengthwise  than  is 
needed.  Snap  shots  of  a  boys '  camp,  a  Sunday 
school  picnic,  a  gymnasium  class  will  interest 
thousands  of  possible  patrons  of  a  Christian 
Association  or  church.  People  who  care  to  see 
the  effectiveness  of  the  advertising  of  their 
church  or  charitable  institution  increased  might 
offer  to  pay  for  having  cuts  made  for  use  in 
circulars  and  similar  matter.  It  is  an  invest- 
ment which  ought  to  pay  big  dividends.* 

*C.  F.  Reisner's  volume  "Church  Publicity"  (The  Meth- 
odist Book  Concern)  is  helpful  in  suggesting  many  uses 
of  stock  cuts. 

[82] 


CHAPTER  VI 
CHURCH  ADVERTISING 


Missionaries  in  Japan  announce  in  papers  that  they  will 
answer  inquiries  about  Christianity — Church  has  nothing 
it  cannot  say  to  general  public  in  print  as  well  as  in  stained 
glass  environment — Reading  of  announcements  from  pulpit 
is  elementary  advertising — Publicity  of  various  parts  of 
church  organization  to  increase  cohesion — Examples — Sur- 
vey should  precede  advertising — Let  city  know  where  your 
church  is — How  to  gain  special  attention — Use  of  electric 
signs,  billboards,  cards — Tickets  good  for  children — Paid 
advertising  by  churches  alone  or  with  others  of  a  city? — 
Go  to  Church  campaigns — What  church  news  will  papers 
print? — Publicity  committee — Don't  be  afraid  to  use  pub- 
licity solely  because  you  have  never  done  so. 


CHAPTER  VI 

CHURCH  ADVERTISING 

THIRTEEN  years  ago  a  missionary  in 
Japan  advertised  in  the  papers  of  the 
town  where  he  was  stationed  that  those 
who  were  interested  might  get  from  him  in- 
formation about  Christianity.  Mimeographed 
Bible  lessons  were  distributed  and  finally  a 
weekly  paper  was  established.  A  number  of 
missionaries  have  adopted  the  same  method 
to  awaken  inquiries,  some  offering  literature, 
others  putting  the  straight  evangelical  message 
in  the  papers  in  space  paid  for  by  the  mission 
station.  This  •  fact  is  stated  on  the  authority 
of  Earl  Herbert  Cressy  writing  in  the  Chinese 
Recorder  of  Shanghai,  September,  1913.  The 
same  plan  is  being  adopted,  he  says,  in  China. 
Much  the  same  use  of  papers  has  been  made  in 
Cairo  by  Dr.  S.  M.  Zwemer  in  reaching  the 
Moslems.  It  seems  a  perfectly  sensible  thing 
to  do.  If  you  want  to  reach  people  who  want  to 
know  about  the  gospel,  let  them  know  where  such 
information  may  be  found.  The  world  around, 
newspapers  are  read  more  carefully  than  any- 
thing else. 

The  full  development  of  the  unification  of 
denominations  is  coming  in  China  and  Korea. 

[85] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

It  would  not  be  surprising  if  the  custom  of  ad- 
vertising for  souls  would  also  come  from  the 
Far  East. 

When  men  have  overcoats  which  other  men 
need,  they  say  so  in  the  newspapers.  Important 
as  overcoats  are,  salvation  is  much  more  so, 
yet  for  the  most  part  salvation  is  talked  of  only 
in  large  auditoriums.  To  find  these  meeting 
places  one  must  walk  the  streets  or  ask  someone 
where  they  may  be  found.  Why  should  not  the 
churches  say  in  the  papers  what  is  said  in 
the  pulpits!  Why  should  great  energy  be  ex- 
pended to  draw  men  to  a  certain  spot  to  hear 
certain  truths  when  the  germ  of  the  same  truths 
can  be  presented  to  them  in  their  homes?  The 
message  of  life  is  not  a  thing  which  must  be 
spoken  of  in  whispers  in  rooms  adorned  with 
stained  glass.  Christ  sought  the  multitude 
wherever  the  people  might  be  found.  The  people 
of  this  day  are  found  by  the  daily  newspaper, 
no  matter  where  they  are. 

There  are  scores  of  objections  revolving 
about  the  lack  of  dignity  in  preaching  the  gospel 
in  the  public  prints.  Men  have  been  trained  to 
think  of  the  church  as  a  thing  apart,  a  thing 
which  would  be  cheapened  by  too  close  printed 
contact  with  the  world  and  its  bacon,  its  hard- 
ware, its  clearance  sales  of  shoes.  The  cynic 
may  inquire  whether  this  very  fact  has  not 
contributed  largely  to  lack  of  more  rapid  prog- 

[86] 


Telephone  Courtesy— 
A  Business  Asset 


Bad  'Phone  Manners  Lost  Order. 

A  certain  textile  house  in  this  city  lost 
a  $3,500  order  yesterday  through  a  dis- 
play of  bad  telephone  manners  on  the 
part  of  the  girl  in  charge  of  the  housa 
switchboard.  According  to  the  buyer,  he 
called  up  this  house  rather  early  in  the 
business  morning  and  asked  to  speak  to 
the  manager.  The  girl  had  evidently 
been  Instructed  to  take  the  names  of 
persons  calling,  but  had  not  been  told 
how  to  do  it.  Instead  of  asking.  "May 
I  have  your  name?"  or  "Who  is  speak- 
ing, please?"  she  demanded  sharply, 
"Who  are  you?"  To  this  the  "buyer 
eaid  he  answered:  "I'm  a  man  who  is 
through  buying  from  your  house  as  long 
as  you  are  there."  He  said  that  he  was 
nqt  going  to  ask  her  discharge,  but  that 
he  was  going  to  buy  somewhere  else 
until  the  house  got  a  girl  who  knew  that 
"the  voice  with  the  smile  wins." 
New  York  Times. 


Incidents  like  the  above  prove  the  im- 
portance of  telephone  courtesy  as  a  busi- 
ness asset 

Again  we  suggest  our  little  motto, "The 
Voice  With  The  Smile  Wins,"  and  its  adop- 
tion by  every  telephone  user  who  would  get 
the  most  out  of  his  telephone  service  in 
dividends  of  good  will,  closer  friendships 
or  increased  business,  based  on  courteous, 
satisfactory  treatment  of  telephone  buyers. 

Telephone  users  who  maintain  over  the 
telephone  the  same  standards  of  courtesy 
that  obtain  in  a  face-to-face  conversation, 
build  for  themselves  a  business  asset  of 
lasting  value. 

"The  Voice.With  The  Smile  Wins." 
NEW  YORK  TELEPHONE  CO. 


An  indication  of  extent  to  which  the  new  spirit  of  advertising  is  affecting 
corporations.  A  telephone  company  having  high  priced  space  in  a  New 
York  City  daily  to  urge  courtesy!  (Worthy  of  study  f'jr  arrangement  of 
type.) 


CHUKCH      ADVEKTISING 


ress  on  the  part  of  the  church.  It  will  not  do 
for  those  who  would  see  the  power  of  Christ 
extended  to  dismiss  without  investigation  any 
means  which  will  bring  the  truth  nearer  to  the 
hearts  of  the  great  mass  of  people.  The  church 
has  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of.  Its  foundation 
has  remained  unshaken  through  the  storms  of 
centuries.  It  will  lose  none  of  its  power  by 
appealing  to  men  to  lead  the  upward  looking 
life  no  matter  how  the  message  may  be  pre- 
sented to  them. 

No  organization  in  the  business  world,  of  the 
size  of  any  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Christian 
church,  is  progressing  at  as  slow  a  rate  as  is  the 
church.  Through  tremendous  personal  efforts, 
individual  congregations  here  and  there  are 
growing,  yet  every  denomination  has  hundreds 
of  separate  organizations  which  are  no  larger 
today  than  last  year.  Business  methods  are 
coming  to  be  applied  to  the  financial  side  of 
church  work  and  have  produced  immense  re- 
turns. They  have  followed  the  same  laws  of 
publicity  which  are  here  suggested  for  the 
strictly  evangelical  message  of  the  church. 

Merely  telling  in  attractive  form  what  may 
be  found  in  the  church  will  not  fill  the  pew's  at 
once,  although  this  is  often  the  result.  Men  do 
not  quickly  surrender  habits  which  they  deem 
pleasurable.  Not  often  can  they  be  taken  by 
storm.  An  advertising  campaign  must  be 

[89] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

looked  upon  as  a  siege.  There  must  first  be 
established  a  feeling  of  confidence  toward  the 
church.  One  does  not  gain  confidence  in  the 
friend  of  a  day.  You  are  urging  a  man  to  invest 
his  life  in  your  enterprise  when  you  ask  him  to 
become  a  Christian,  and  he  is  not  nearly  so  sure 
of  the  future  profits  as  are  you. 

A  man  who  has  been  nurtured  in  the  well- 
established  habits  of  the  church  can  with  diffi- 
culty bring  himself  to  believe  that  the  force 
which  is  doing  so  much  for  business  and  com- 
merce can  be  harnessed  for  religion.  He  must 
overcome  his  natural  inertia  in  trying  this  new 
thing,  and  if  he  be  a  pastor  he  must  not  too 
suddenly  shock  the  sensibilities  of  the  good 
people  who  make  up  his  congregation.  Is  there, 
however,  much  difference  between  reading  from 
the  pulpit  a  notice  of  the  holding  of  an  ice  cream 
social  next  Friday  and  the  putting  of  the  same 
facts  into  type  in  the  local  paper  to  be  read  by 
the  people?  The  information  reaches  them 
through  the  eye  instead  of  the  ear.  Sermons 
are  prepared  to  reach  the  people  who  come  to 
church.  The  same  facts  in  slightly  changed 
form  might  with  equal  propriety  be  used  to 
reach  people  who  don't  come  to  church. 

The  reading  of  announcements  from  the  pul- 
pit is  the  most  elementary  of  church  advertising. 
It  is  advertising  the  work  of  one  part  of  the 
organization  to  the  whole  congregation.  The 

[90] 


CHURCH     ADVERTISING 


next  highest  form  is  the  printing  of  the  same 
announcement  in  the  bulletin  or  calendar. 

In  all  publicity  and  advertising,  as  has  been 
mentioned  before,  the  advertiser  connected  with 
non-commercial  enterprises  will  profit  by  re- 
membering that  the  publicity  directed  to  reach 
those  already  members  of  the  organization 
should  differ  from  that  aimed  at  those  who  are 
without  the  association.  Advertising  in  one 
class  helps  the  other,  but  the  various  problems 
can  be  analyzed  best  by  separating  the  two. 

Every  church  which  expects  to  do  aggressive 
work  must  be  sure  that  all  of  the  present  mem- 
bers are  pulling  together  and  all  working 
toward  the  end  for  which  the  church  was  estab- 
lished. Information  within  the  church  as  to  the 
extent  of  the  activities  of  each  organization  is 
useful  to  accomplish  this  result.  If  the  women 
know  that  the  boys  of  Mr.  Smith's  class  are 
meeting  in  the  teacher's  barn  after  school  to 
make  tables  for  the  classes  in  the  primary  de- 
partment, the  women  ought  to  sew  on  garments 
for  the  family  of  the  South  Dakota  minister  with 
greater  zest.  News  of  the  activities  of  the 
Christian  Endeavor  in  raising  money  for  the 
Indian  lepers  will  stimulate  %e  trustees  to  help 
the  session  with  the  every  member  canvass  for 
benevolences.  The  church  as  a  whole  organiza- 
tion must  be  at  its  best  before  any  special  effort 
can  be  made  with  success  to  enlist  outsiders. 

[91] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

The  spreading  of  this  information  inside  the 
church  can  be  accomplished  through  well  put 
notices  from  the  pulpit,  in  the  printed  calendar, 
on  the  bulletin  board,  or  by  interchange  of 
items  of  interest  between  officers  of  the  various 
constituent  organizations  for  the  enlightenment 
of  the  members  of  each  of  the  various  bodies 
making  up  the  church. 

The  local  newspaper  can  be  used  in  the  same 
way.  Attendance  in  Sunday  school  can  be  built 
up  and  regularity  established  by  items  in  the 
papers  about  the  school  and  its  activities.  The 
children  will  read  those  items  with  swelling 
chests,  "that's  our  school,  here  in  the  paper." 
Loyalty  to  its  services  will  be  engendered. 
Parents  reading  the  items  will  recall  that  Mary 
didn't  get  up  early  last  Sunday  and  didn't  get 
to  the  service.  Next  time  Mary  may  be  urged 
to  get  to  Bible  school  and  on  time.  In  the  same 
way  Mrs.  Jones,  who  never  goes  to  church  in 
the  evening,  may  through  the  paper  find  that 
really  interesting  things  which  she  should  hear 
are  being  discussed  in  her  church.  If  the  young 
people 's  society  is  awake  and  does  things  which 
are  worth  publishing,  other  young  people  in  the 
church  will  get  the  habit  of  dropping  in  to  the 
meetings.  New  blood  in  the  various  societies 
will  be  encouraging  and  the  work  will  grow. 
Of  course,  the  same  news  items  which  draw 
adherents  of  the  church  into  closer  relationship 

[92] 


CHUKCH      ADVERTISING 


with  the  organizations  will  serve  to  attract  to 
the  live  church  those  who  usually  attend  no 
services. 

Clever  posters  in  the  vestibule  of  the  church 
can  be  used  to  good  effect  in  letting  the  congre- 
gation know  of  coming  events  in  the  Sunday 
school,  or  missionary  society,  or  Boy  Scout 
patrol.  Presenting  -the  work  of  an  organiza- 
tion in  concrete  form  advertises  it  to  the  con- 
gregation. Special  services  of  the  Sunday 
school  in  the  church,  having  the  Boy  Scouts 
wait  on  table  at  a  church  social,  a  special  feature 
of  a  program  by  some  organized  class  of  the 
young  people's  organization — all  these  things 
help  bring  the  organizations  to  the  notice  of 
the  adherents  of  the  church.  This  discussion 
presupposes  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  church 
members  to  welcome  additions,  treat  the  new- 
comers cordially  and  make  a  place  for  them  in 
the  organization. 

Detailed  knowledge  about  one's  actions  is 
always  interesting.  It  will  surprise  the  mem- 
bers of  some  churches,  for  example,  to  know  that 
only  one-third  of  the  adherents  contribute  any- 
thing to  missions  and  that  half  of  them  pay 
nothing  regularly  towards  the  pastor's  salary. 
The  fractions  may  be  wrong  for  your  church, 
but  the  facts  may  surprise  even  the  officers. 
The  per  capita  gifts  to  missions  during  a  year 
and  the  comparison  with  other  churches  will 

[93] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

excite  interest;  so  will  the  number  of  families 
represented  in  Sunday  school  and  not  in  church. 
Churches  in  cities  where  a  census  is  made  of  the 
total  number  of  church  members  who  go  to 
prayer  meeting  are  astounded  by  the  propor- 
tionably  small  number  of  those  who  attend. 
Such  an  investigation  into  the  inner  workings 


We  are  working  for  a 

Record-Breaking 
Prayer  Meeting. 

To-night,  7:30. 

Will  you  help?  SIBERIAN 

Be  there.  CHURCH 


Good  use  of  type  and  white  space.    A  post  card  effective  in  Joliet,  111. 

of  a  church,  in  addition  to  supplying  informa- 
tion, will  provide  stimulus  for  decisive  action. 
It  will  also  point  the  way  to  the  need  of  work 
on  the  part  of  the  congregation.  If  the  prayer 
meeting  is  not  well  attended,  advertise  it,  make 
it  popular.  If  the  Bible  school  attendance  is 
falling  off,  get  the  children  to  talk  about  the 
school.  If  only  a  handful  comes  to  the  Sunday 
evening  service,  let  the  men  devise  schemes  to 
invite  other  men,  let  the  pastor  study  the  type 

[94] 


CHURCH      ADVERTISING 


of  sermon  he  delivers  and  let  him  revise  the 
order  of  service  and  keep  revising  it  until  he 
finds  what  the  people  of  his  community  like  best. 

In  the  same  way  a  census  and  an  analysis  of 
the  community  outside  of  the  church  should  pre- 
cede any  advertising  campaign.  What  is  the 
greatest  religious  need  of  the  town  or  that 
part  of  the  city  served  by  your  church?  Are 
there  too  many  churches?  Are  there  too  many 
places  of  low  moral  tone  which  prevent  the 
development  of  righteousness  ?  Should  the  law 
be  enforced,  or  should  the  pastor  strive  to  per- 
suade men  to  righteousness  so  that  the  resorts 
will  vanish  for  lack  of  patronage?  In  Chapter 
I  there  is  an  excellent  analysis  of  a  commercial 
institution,  which  can  be  applied  to  a  church 
with  equally  good  results.  In  most  communi- 
ties the  church  has  been  doing  its  work  in  its 
own  established  way  so  long  that  the  need  for  a 
survey  has  not  been  recognized.  Possibly  the 
first  step  toward  getting  a^survey  will  be  to  ad- 
vertise the  need  of  one,  and  show  the  advantages 
accruing  to  other  churches  through  similar 
means. 

Perhaps  a  deepening  of  the  spiritual  life  of 
the  church  is  the  greatest  need,  and  some  one 
will  think  at  once  that  advertising  won't  help 
here.  But  the  session  may  decide  that  the  best 
thing  is  to  have  a  series  of  special  meetings, 
and  advertising  is  vitally  needed  to  get  people 

[95] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

to  those  meetings.  There  are  few  needs  of  a 
church  which  will  not  be  met  by  the  intelligent 
application  of  the  principles  of  publicity. 


Pen  and  ink  sketch  of  a  Denver  tower— used  on  church    advertising. 

The  church  building  itself  is  a  standing  ad- 
vertisement of  the  church  to  those  not  members. 
Is  the  name  of  your  church  legible?  In  a 
Wisconsin  town  one  summer  Sunday  I  had  to 

[96] 


CHURCH      ADVERTISING 


stop  three  passersby  before  I  made  sure  that 
the  church  before  which  I  stood  was  the  Pres- 
byterian building.  And  then  I  had  to  go  to  the 
Methodist  service  because  the  Presbyterians 
had  deserted  the  field  for  the  summer.  Perhaps 
for  shame  of  this  desertion,  there  was  no  label 
of  any  sort  on  the  building.  If  the  sign  is  on 
your  church  perhaps  people  in  the  next  block 
have  never  read  it.  Investigate !  A  clerk  of  a 
hotel  for  twelve  years  in  an  Iowa  town  of  15,000 
didn't  know  where  the  Disciples  church  was. 
Another  hotel  clerk,  standing  at  his  desk  two 
blocks  from  the  Presbyterian  church,  told  a 
stranger  that  it  was  the  Baptist  structure.  A 
stranger  seeking  a  Methodist  church  in  a  suburb 
of  Chicago  had  to  ask  seven  people  and  walk 
six  blocks  out  of  his  way  to  reach  the  building. 
When  he  started  he  was  four  blocks  from  his 
destination.  A  Baptist  pastor  in  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  instructed  his  people  to  address  every 
street  car  conductor  to  whom  they  paid  a  nickel 
and  ask  where  the  First  Baptist  church  was. 
If  the  public  servant  didn't  know,  he  was  told. 
Effective  publicity! 

Special  services,  special  speakers,  special 
things  of  any  sort,  providing  they  are  interest- 
ing, are  useful  to  attract  attention  to  a  church. 
They  provide  a  peg  upon  which  to  hang  news 
stories  of  an  acceptable  character  and  bring 
outsiders  to  the  church.  Upon  the  character  of 

[97] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

the  attraction  depends  the  question  of.  their 
future  attendance.  A  quartet  of  bell  ringers  may 
draw  sinners,  but  not  to  repentance.  A  lively 
committee  shaking  hands  judiciously  with 
strangers  on  such  an  occasion  can  invite  them 
to  regular  preaching  services  in  an  effective 
manner.  Department  stores  manufacture  chal- 
lenge sales,  drug  sales,  clearance  sales,  mid- 
summer sales,  and  forty-nine  other  kinds  to  keep 
customers  coming  to  their  store  every  week  of 
the  year.  Can  churches  in  a  dignified  manner 
find  as  many  excuses  to  ask  people  to  come  to 
services — if  the  same  amount  of  brain  power 
is  applied  to  the  job? 

Obviously  the  more  a  church  can  do  for  a 
community,  and  the  more  it  leads  the  commu- 
nity activities,  the  greater  hold  it  consequently 
will  have  upon  the  favorable  consideration  of 
the  people  of  the  town.  To  this  end  work  for 
boys  and  girls,  forums  for  discussion  of  popular 
subjects  and  a  host  of  other  schemes  modified 
to  fit  the  community,  can  be  undertaken.  All 
of  these  not  only  cause  the  church  to  be  spoken 
of  favorably  by  one  person  to  another — the  most 
valuable  kind  of  advertising — but  they  all  pro- 
vide possible  news  stories.  This  cooperation 
with  the  press  extends  the  power  of  the  service 
which  occasioned  the  story  and  impresses  the 
church  on  its  possible  "customers" — the  nearby 
unsaved. 

[98] 


CHURCH     ADVERTISING 


All  of  these  tilings  a  church  can  do,  without  in 
the  least  offending  the  most  conservative  mem- 
ber who,  for  some  reason,  may  object  to  the 
aggressive  measures  which  many  congregations 
are  now  taking  to  attract  people  to  the  services. 
Not  a  few  churches  in  these  days  make  large  use 
of  electric  signs.  The  cross  in  electric  light  on 
the  spire  of  the  building  is  used  with  striking 
effect  in  some  cities.  The  name  of  the  church 
spelled  in  light  over  the  main  entrance  is  used 
by  many  down  town  churches  where  the  illu- 
minated flashing  invitations  to  eat,  drink  and  be 
amused  beckon  the  passerby.  Billboards  have 
been  used  by  some  churches,  although  the  num- 
ber is  perhaps  fewer  than  those  which  use  paid 
space  in  daily  newspapers.  During  revival 
campaigns,  or  at  times  of  special  services  of 
any  other  sort,  the  billboard  is  a  most  helpful 
adjunct  to  other  forms  of  publicity.  Persons 
will  see  a  message  on  a  billboard  who  may  not 
be  reached  in  any  other  way.  Some  ministers 
have  found  billboards  especially  valuable  at 
street  car  transfer  points.  There  is,  however, 
less  opportunity  to  choose  the  company  a  church 
ad  may  have  on  a  billboard  than  in  a  news- 
paper, although  in  some  cases  this  can  be 
arranged. 

The  job  printing  press  is  used  in  various  ways 
to  arouse  interest  in  the  church  and  its  services. 
Cards  of  invitation  of  many  forms  are  issued. 

[99] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGRESS 

Circular  letters  at  the  first  of  the  year,  or  at 
other  times,  are  used  by  many  pastors.  Boys 
and  men  will  pass  out  cards  of  invitation  and 
announcements  when  they  will  not  say  the  more 
compelling  personal  word.  On  these  cards 
thought  and  care  must  be  expended.  They  must 
be  attention  compelling  and  illustrated  if  pos- 
sible. The  illustration,  and  the  catch  line, 
should,  however,  be  vitally  related  to  the  mes- 
sage which  the  card  carries.  Some  pastors  who 
have  had  large  results  from  advertising  have 
advised  the  use  of  jokes  or  catch  phrases  merely 
to  catch  attention:  "I  Hope  2  C  U  There," 
"Every  Night  U  E  Invited  2  Come.7'  This 
sort  of  advertising  was  current  in  commerce 
forty  years  ago  and  the  church  should  be  saved 
the  loss  of  passing  through  a  similar  period. 
People  may  read  a  joke  on  a  card  and  may 
attend  the  church  whose  name  is  at  the  bottom 
of  the  card.  The  second  act  is  as  likely  to  be 
a  coincidence  as  it  is  a  result,  and  the  card  will 
fail  to  reach  many  others,  some  of  whom  may 
be  repelled  from  an  organization  which  uses 
such  means  to  attract  people.  They  may  well 
expect  from  such  a  card  to  see  a  vaudeville 
actor  in  the  pulpit.  The  advertising  and  liter- 
ature of  every  sort  should  reflect  the  dignity 
and  yet  the  good  fellowship  of  the  church. 

A  card  of  invitation  should  be  in  evidence  at 
the  hotels  and  stations  or  other  common  meet- 
[100] 


CHURCH 


ing  places  of  men.  Wherever  a  man  is  likely 
to  ask  about  a  church  your  church  ought  to  be 
represented  in  some  way,  to  give  him  the 
information  he  wants.  Pastors  might  well  seek 
the  acquaintance  of  hotel  clerks  for  this  reason 
alone. 

A  booklet  giving  a  description  of  a  church, 
something  of  its  history  and  accomplishments 
and  a  showing  of  the  places  where  a  newcomer 
may  find  work  in  the  congregation  can  be  used 
effectively  by  many  large  congregations.  Such 
a  booklet  will  go  far  towards  interesting  the 
traveling  man  weary  with  the  Sunday  morning 
paper.  Central  Presbyterian  Church,  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  is  one  of  the  churches  using  such  a  book- 
let successfully. 

Children  are  attracted  by  cards  more  than 
grown  persons,  perhaps.  Pictures  on  these  in- 
vitations to  the  young  folk  can  be  used  to  good 
advantage.  Novelties  of  any  sort  will  usually 
attract  children  to  a  special  service.  If  the 
card  of  invitation  is  made  in  the  form  of  a 
ticket  of  admission  it  will  be  treasured.  Dr. 
C.  F.  Eeisner  of  New  York  used  to  advantage 
an  admission  ticket  to  a  moving  picture  enter- 
tainment for  children.  The  cards  were  dis- 
tributed on  Sunday,  good  the  next  Sabbath. 
They  were  kept  about  the  home  for  a  week  and 
served  to  advertise  the  church  to  elders  as  well 
as  to  the  children. 

[101] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PEOGEESS 

The  sale  of  stock  certificates  in  mission  enter- 
prises or  in  debt  raising  campaigns  is  often 
successful.  This  phase  of  publicity  for  churches 
infringes  largely,  however,  upon  plans  of 
church  work  which  have  been  treated  fully  by 
more  experienced  churchmen. 

Paid  newspaper  advertising  by  churches 
seems  to  be  sweeping  the  country.  Church 
federations  in  many  cities,  following  the  lead 
of  Baltimore,  have  published  plain  talks  to  non- 
churchgoers  about  their  relation  to  the  church 
and  the  church's  relation  to  the  community. 
Under  these  ads  often  are  printed  the  names 
of  the  cooperating  churches,  and  sometimes 
each  church  buys  what  space  it  cares  for  to 
announce  its  location  and  reasons  why  one 
should  attend  there.  Churches  and  newspapers 
are  both  coming  to  agree  with  the  report  of  the 
Publicity  Commission  of  the  Men  and  Religion 
Forward  Movement  that  the  routine  announce- 
ments of  the  location  and  pastor  of  a  church 
should  be  paid  for  as  advertising  and  not  be 
urged  upon  the  editor  as  news.  Many  churches 
have  for  years  carried  paid  advertising  in 
papers.  This  was  one  of  the  hobbies  of  D.  L. 
Moody,  and  Moody  Church,  Chicago,  has  always 
done  extensive  and  effective  paid  advertising. 
Whether  or  not  an  individual  church  should 
do  much  paid  newspaper  advertising  depends 
upon  its  location,  the  people  it  seeks  to  reach, 
[102] 


THE 


A  few  weeks  ago  the  head  of  a 'family  in  Germantown 
was  invited  to  a  United  Presbyterian  Church.  His  ac- 
ceptance was  prompt  and  suggestive. 

"Wife  and  I  have  been  reading  those  Church  ad- 
vertisements in  The  North  American,  and  they 
convinced  us.  But,  actually,  we  did  not  know 
just  where  to  go  or  how  to  start  in.  If  your 
Church  wants  us,  we  shall  be  glad  to  attend." 

The  Publicity  Committee's  advertisements  have  made  it 
easier  for  church  members  to  talk  with  neighbors  about 
the  Church. 

The  printed  invitations  should  be  supported  by  the 
spoken,  personal  word,  for  which  they  have  prepared 
the  way. 

Everybody  now  knows  about  this  new 
Church  Publicity.  So  the  subject  of 
this  advertising  makes  a  good  start- 
ing point  for  a  conversation. 


CKLEV,   (Id  «nd  Wv^lu.ln». 
CLARENceA.  ADAMS.  Putor. 


Lemon  Hill  A.»ociation 

LEMON   HUJ,  ASSOCIATION 
"RUNNING    FROM   OOD" 


Methodut  Epucopd 


Prcs  bytcfian 

BNT      AND      OPEN  -  AIR      SERVICES 

4th   and    Reed.    Evangelist    Tbomai    N«ed- 

><"••  *T'^  JTSSSS&  «&&£ 

ro^-ajrjKsH 

sr;    10th   and    Ktmball.    Rev.    A.    Stair! o; 

AirtomoMta  xo^^&wsnugt.'  R.  'M.  Hoi' 

Plaaa,  Franklin  Squar*.  Oampa'  Ship- 
yard. Noon  RaJly  In  VoKmlTiiter  Hall, 
Monday.  18  o'clock.  Publ 


lo  cordially    In- 


RRIS.  D.  D.. 

.45    A.    M.    by     Rev.    William 
.    of   the   United   Free    Church, 

You"  art  .porlally    Invited    to    hear    thla 
Jloquenl    Scotch    preac Her.      Ko    OTenlns 


Ae?o'rdf«l  Invitation  l»  e«endea  te  all. 

CHUKCH 
JARVIB. 


lead  the  singing. 
The  public  cordially 


OREENWTCH     ST.     PRESBT.     Cm^ROH 


Presbyterian 


B  P     MT-Choral  Even^M- 
A\Vek>Uiy   s-trvic^-7,    9   A-    M 


Reformed 

"l$SVr>  WALLACE  8T8. 

funIoUyAP.rh^,ZE8L3IfR-Morn,.. 
10.SO.      No   evening   .ervlce. 


United  Brethran 


United  Evangelical 


Chrutian   (Duciplef  of  Chrnt) 


Horn* 


te  way  Philadelphia  churches  reach  the  people— a  summertime  example.  The 
Baltimore  News  before  Christmas  Sunday,  1914,  had  paid  announcements  of  122 
churches,  occupying  a  total  of  over  five  pages. 


CHURCH      ADVERTISING 


and  the  faith  of  its  members.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  in  many  places,  large  and  small,  such  ad- 
vertising is  profitable  to  the  churches.  When 
the  churches  of  a  town,  or  most  of  them,  unite 
in  a  joint  campaign,  the  largest  community 
value  from  such  paid  advertising  is  obtained. 

Proof  of  this  value  of  cooperative  effort  has 
been  found  in  the  page  and  half  page  ads  which 
have  been  used  in  large  dailies  of  the  country. 
This  form  of  advertising  was  strongly  urged 
by  the  Publicity  Commission  of  the  Men  and 
Eeligion  Movement,  and  William  T.  Ellis,  secre- 
tary of  that  body,  has  done  much  to  further  the 
idea,  especially  in  Philadelphia.  One  of  the 
first  papers  to  cooperate  to  a  large  extent  with 
the  united  churches  and  individual  congrega- 
tions was  the  Baltimore  News.  The  plan  of  this 
paper  and  others  is  to  run  a  half  page  general 
ad  directed  to  those  who  do  not  usually  go  to 
church.  The  lower  half  of  the  same  page  is 
filled  with  small  announcements  of  individual 
churches.  In  Baltimore  the  upper  half  of  the 
page  is  paid  for  by  an  individual  on  behalf  of 
the  churches.  He  believes  that  much  good  can 
be  done  through  intelligent  publicity  and  is  will- 
ing to  back  his  faith  with  cash.  May  his  tribe 
increase ! 

The  same  general  plan  is  followed  by  an 
increasing  number  of  papers  in  large  cities.  At 
least  a  page  of  live  church  news  is  furnished  by 
[105] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

the  papers  to  attract  readers  to  that  part  of 
the  journal. 

Advertisements  have  been  used  in  various 
places  for  a  specific  purpose,  and  this  use  of  the 
printed  page  will  probably  increase.  The  men 
of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  drove  commercialized  vice  from 
their  city  by  this  means.  Similar  results  were 
obtained  in  Lewistown,  Mont,  In  Tacoma  a 
group  of  citizens  used  advertising  in  an  effort 
to  stop  Sunday  sports.  Some  cities  have  spent 
for  advertising  the  money  which  otherwise 
would  have  gone  into  a  special  revival  effort, 
and  the  effect  is  said  to  have  been  good. 
Brewers  use  advertising  when  the  activities  of 
citizens  against  their  business  become  too  "per- 
nicious. "  It  is  believed  that  the  liquor  interests 
hope  thus  to  influence  the  papers  so  that  no 
support  will  be  given  their  opponents.  Churches 
have  no  need  to  advertise  to  get  the  support  of 
papers,  but  ads  can  be  used  effectively  to  rally 
to  the  standards  of  righteousness  all  the  good 
citizens  when  some  measure  in  city  or  state 
legislature  is  in  the  balance. 

Another  successful  use  by  churches  of  pub- 
licity for  a  definite  purpose  has  been  the  wide 
spread  application  of  printers'  ink  to  the 
problem  of  getting  people  to  attend  church. 
These  Go-to-Church  campaigns  have  in  the 
larger  cities  been  planned  and  executed  with  as 
much  care  as  to  detail  as  any  advertising  and 
[106] 


Rain  or  Shine 
Balmy  or  Bliz= 

zard 
Feel  Like  it  or 

Not 


In  spite  of  weathor  conditions  or  personal  in- 
clination we  ask  youf  help  next  Sunday. 

The  thing  we  have  set  our  hearts  on  is  the  fill- 
ing of  every  Estherville  church  that  day  to  its  last 
seat,  and  then  some. 

Let  the  paper  wait  till  after  dinner  and  bring 
the  folks  with  JTOU.  All  that  is  needed  to  make  this 
rally  a  splendid  success  is  your  help.  You'll  be 
there? 


United  Churches  I.  T.  A. 
Committee 


Two  column  ad  used  by  united  churches  of  Estherville,  la.,  in  preparation 
for  Go-to-Church  Day. 


CHURCH      ADVERTISING 


selling  campaign  ever  devised  by  the  publicity 
forces  of  a  house  about  to  put  forth  a  new 
breakfast  food.  No  idea  in  cooperative  church 
work  in  a  half  century  or  more  has  done  so 
much  to  get  the  churches,  as  organizations, 
before  the  people  of  a  community.  If  people  go 
to  church  once,  they  ought  to  want  to  go  again. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  the  things  for  which  the 
church  stands  can  be  brought  to  them  with 
sufficient  force,  they  will  want  to  go  to  church. 
The  use  of  the  plan  is  fully  as  important  as  the 
plan  itself. 

The  details  of  a  Go-to-Church  movement  must 
be  adapted  to  the  community.  The  manager  of 
the  movement  should  have  in  himself,  or  in 
some  one  closely  associated  with  him,  a  well 
developed  publicity  instinct.  Every  medium  of 
publicity  ever  devised  for  the  exploitation  of  a 
commercial  commodity  may  be  used.  News- 
papers recognize  the  large  news  value  of  such 
a  movement.  In  fact,  in  many  cities  the  papers 
have  been  the  first  to  urge  the  matter,  and  the 
pastors  of  all  denominations  have  been  glad  to 
take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  get  the 
community  thinking  about  the  church.  So  far 
as  the  papers  are  concerned  in  such  a  campaign, 
the  main  difficulty  is  in  finding  news  enough  to 
provide  something  fresh  each  day.  One  of  the 
stock  methods  of  keeping  up  interest  is  a  procla- 
mation by  the  mayor  of  a  certain  day  on  which 
[109] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

every  one  is  urged  to  go  to  church.  Stories  of 
the  novel  advertising  schemes  to  be  used  later 
in  the  campaign  furnish  news  items  for  some 
days.  These  schemes  may  include  the  use  of 
billboards,  moving  picture  screens,  cards  to  be 
hung  on  milk  bottles  and  door  knobs,  banners 
across  the  street,  street  car  cards,  inserts  in 
pay  envelopes  of  large  factories  and  other  de- 
vices. In  a  Chicago  campaign  which  reached 
an  enormous  number  of  persons  all  such  adver- 
tising was  donated,  managers  of  various  print- 
ing plants,  in  many  cases  not  church  goers, 
being  ready  to  help  the  cause  along  when  they 
knew  others  were  contributing  time  and 
material. 

The  relation  of  churches  to  the  advertising 
department  of  the  newspapers  has  been  con- 
sidered much  less  than  the  more  common  rela- 
tion to  the  editorial  department.  Churches  as 
a  rule  have  not  yet  awakened  to  the  large  power 
of  paid  advertising  to  reach  men.  Many  pastors 
have  never  thought  of  it,  and  not  a  few  trustees 
would  think  their  pastor  a  strange  sort  of  per- 
son to  suggest  use  of  money  for  such  purpose. 
Churches  are,  however,  discovering  that  they 
have  not  cooperated  with  the  newspapers  to 
the  extent  that  is  possible  in  the  way  of  fur- 
nishing news.  Some  pastors  and  evangelists 
have  long  been  aware  that  they  can  add  con- 
siderably to  their  personal  reputation  by  con- 
[110] 


All 

Lodge 
Members 


Are  especially  invited  to  help  us 
break  the  record  for  church  attend- 
ance next  Sunday.  Of  course  a 
good  proportion  of  you  go  any 
way,  but  we'd  be  mighty  glad  to 
have  the  rest  come  too — all  the 
while  for  that  matter, — but  any 
how  next  Sunday.  And  bring  the 
folks.  The  more  the  better.  Every- 
body counts.  Estherville  breaks 
records.  Church  attendance  is  the 
one  we  are  after  just  now  and  with 
your  help  we'll  get  it. 

—United  Churches  I.  T.  A.  Committee. 


Churches  in  small  cities,  as  well  as  those  in  larger  ones,  may  advertise  profitably. 


CHURCH      ADVERTISING 


stantly  sending  the  papers  material  about  their 
work.  It  is  true  that  the  work  of  a  church 
centers  about  an  individual,  and  that  individual 
must  assume  a  prominent  place  in  print,  but 
there  is  a  marked  difference  between  the  man 
who  is  not  afraid  to  see  his  name  in  print  for 
the  sake  of  the  work  and  the  man  who  wants  his 
name  published  for  the  sake  of  what  he  has 
done. 

It  is  a  question  with  many  pastors  just  how 
they  ought  to  treat  the  newspapers  and  the 
many  requests  which  come  for  news  or  sermons. 
No  man  should  refuse  to  take  advantage  of  an 
opportunity  to  make  the  church  better  known 
because  his  name  figures  in  the  account. 
Reporters  should  be  trusted  as  friends  anxious 
to  help.  Time  spent  in  explaining  matters  to 
them,  even  though  the  hour  be  well  after  mid- 
night, is  usually  well  used. 

The  church  is  the  center  of  one  of  the  biggest 
elements  in  human  life.  There  is  news  value  in 
what  the  church  does,  but  many  pastors  fail  to 
see  the  difference  between  news  and  announce- 
ments. William  T.  Ellis  prepared  for  the 
United  Missionary  Campaign  of  1913-14  a 
leaflet  containing  many  suggestions  in  regard  to 
the  promotion  of  Christian  publicity.  His  defi- 
nitions as  to  what  constitutes  news  from  a 
church  standpoint  will  be  helpful.  They  grow 
out  of  large  experience  in  religious  publicity. 
[113] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

''What  is  News? — Whatever  is  new  and 
important  is  news. 

"New  forms  of  service,  new  workers, 
new  organizations,  new  buildings,  new 
members,  new  gifts,  and  the  unclassified 
and  unpredictable — this  is  church  news. 

"Whatever  in  a  church  touches  the  life 
of  a  considerable  number  of  persons  is 
news.  Thus  all  civic,  state,  denominational 
or  interdenominational  organizations  are  a 
prolific  source  of  news. 

"Routine  announcements — as  that  the 
regular  services  are  to  be  held  and  the 
regular  minister  is  to  preach — -are  not  news. 
They  are  advertisements,  and  preferably  to 
be  inserted  as  such.  The  filling  of  news- 
paper columns  with  these  ' notices,'  as 
typical  of  church  news,  has  given  the  world 
an  inadequate  and  misleading  impression 
of  the  church's  mission  and  activities. 

"The  congregation's  work  is  a  more  pro- 
lific source  of  publicity  than  the  pastor's 
words. 

"  'Human  interest'  items — concerning 
veterans  in  service,  unusual  forms  of  en- 
deavor, and  work  in  jails,  almshouses,  hos- 
pitals, etc. — are  a  good  sort  of  news. 

"Special  church  days  always  afford  op- 
portunity for  publicity. 

"Visitors  who  are  identified  with  special 
[114] 


CHURCH      ADVERTISING 


forms  of  Christian  work  are  a  proper  occa- 
sion for  publicity. 

"  Every  new  missionary  who  appears  in 
a  community  affords  'copy'  for  at  least  one 
article. 

"Kingdom  news  is  good  news,  and  often 
better  worth  printing  than  local  items. 
Every  congregation  is  a  branch  agency  of  a 
worldwide  work,  and  there  is  a  sound  war- 
rant for  printing  locally  the  great  news 
about  worldwide  missions. 

"This  sort  of  news,  in  the  form  of  inci- 
dents, statistics,  and  important  generaliza- 
tions, may  be  obtained  from  missionary 
magazines  and  missionary  boards. " 

A  publicity  committee  for  each  church  will 
centralize  the  advertising  efforts  of  the  congre- 
gation. It  may  consist  of  one  or  two  persons 
who  already  know  something  about  newspapers 
and  advertising.  They  may  learn  more  by 
reading  the  available  literature  on  the  relation 
of  the  press  to  the  church.  This  committee 
will  be  encouraged  whenever  it  is  able  to 
find  news — or  make  it — which  will  carry  into 
the  homes  of  the  people  of  the  city  some  definite 
suggestion  of  Christian  work  or  thought. 

The  furnishing  of  religious  information  of  a 
city  to  local  dailies  may  well  be  the  work  of 
some  one  man  who  shall  do  it  for  all  the 
[115] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

churches.  In  Chicago  for  a  number  of  years  a 
Christian  Endeavorer,  A.  G.  Fegert,  a  solicitor 
of  printing,  has  furnished  news  of  the  churches 
to  the  Herald  one  morning  a  week.  He  refuses 
pay  from  the  paper  because  such  work  is  his 
hobby.  The  material  is  gathered  in  a  few  hours 
by  using  the  telephone.  There  is  no  way  of 
telling  the  amount  of  good  which  has  been  ac- 
complished by  injecting  into  the  midst  of  stories 
of  crime  and  bloodshed  some  information  of 
those  associations  which  are  upholding  the 
Cross  in  the  midst  of  the  market  place.  Here 
is  an  opportunity  for  service  which  any  young 
man  may  well  covet.  Similar  places  can  be 
found  or  made  in  any  community. 

These  suggestions  for  religious  publicity  have 
an  application  to  rural  communities,  to  small 
towns  and  cities,  as  well  as  to  larger  centers  of 
population.  Sermons  are  very  often  used  in 
small  papers.  The  question  whether  an  entire 
sermon  or  an  extract  accomplishes  the  most 
good  is  debatable.  The  number  of  persons  who 
will  start  several  columns  of  serious  reading 
seems  to  be  decreasing,  unless  indeed  the  author 
has  such  a  reputation  as  a  preacher  and  writer 
that  the  material  carries  weight  because  he  says 
it,  rather  than  because  of  what  is  said.  Pastors 
usually  can  say  in  1,000  words  so  many  good 
things  which  will  help  change  a  man's  life,  that 
it  is  criminal  waste  of  space  to  lose  the  chance 
[116] 


CHURCH      ADVERTISING 


of  reaching  men  by  printing  longer  extracts. 
Two  hundred  words  of  the  meat  of  a  sermon 
may  reach  ten  times  as  many  men  as  would 
2,000  words.  Such  extracts  should  be  revised 
carefully  from  the  standpoint  of  a  reader  who 
is  not  of  the  household  of  faith,  and  put  into 
language  which  the  average  man  will  readily 
comprehend. 

Pastors  and  church  members  in  small  as  well 
as  large  cities  can  do  much  to  influence  the 
policy  of  a  paper  by  becoming  acquainted  with 
the  editor,  and  as  a  friend  attempting  to  win 
him  to  see  things  from  the  Christian  stand- 
point. With  him  as  an  ally,  the  task  of  using 
the  press  to  mold  public  sentiment  for  good 
works  is  much  easier.  An  editor,  even  if  he  be 
a  church  officer,  needs,  however,  the  stimulation 
of  others  who  have  definitely  in  mind  the  presen- 
tation of  church  news  and  ideals. 

Advertisements  may  be  used  by  churches  or 
individuals  in  small  communities,  and  the  cost 
is  very  low  compared  to  the  expense  in  papers 
of  large  circulation. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  plans  which  will 
work  in  another  community  may  not  be  at  all 
successful  in  your  own.  This  fact  ought  not  to 
be  an  excuse  behind  which  timid  men  will  hide 
when  faced  with  the  suggestion  that  they  might 
increase  the  influence  of  the  gospel  by  reaching 
out  after  men.  The  suggestions  made  in  this 
[117] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

chapter  do  not  by  any  means  exhaust  the  sub- 
ject. Several  books  have  been  written  on  church 
advertising  alone.  The  examples  given  may, 
however,  serve  to  stimulate  thought  among 
pastors  and  church  members  leading  to  a  wider 
use  of  their  opportunities. 


[118] 


CHAPTER  VII 

MAKING  KNOWN  THE  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
AND  Y.  W.  C.  A. 


Through  the  gymnasiums  the  Associations  have  received 
much  publicity — Secretaries  often  fail  to  help  papers — 
Localize  general  association  news — Newspapers  and  the 
annual  report — Have  catchy  cards — Treatment  of  visitors 
at  building  must  back  up  ads. 


CHAPTER  VII 

MAKING  KNOWN  THE  Y.  M.  C.  A.  AND  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

PUBLICITY  problems  of  Christian  asso- 
ciations for  young  men  and  for  young 
women  are  much  the  same.    Both  want 
to  attract  young  people  to  their  buildings ;  both 
want  to  spread  information  of  their  work  among 
the  men  and  women  who  support  the  institution. 
Young  women  will,  therefore,  consider  them- 
selves included  when  reference  is  made  in  this 
chapter  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Associations  seldom  have  more  money  than 
they  know  what  to  do  with.  It  takes  a  secretary 
with  nerve  and  faith  to  risk  for  advertising, 
cash  given  him  by  men  of  the  city,  and  yet  those 
secretaries  who  have  tried  paid  newspaper 
advertising  say  that  they  get  good  returns.  But, 
like  all  advertising,  it  must  be  well  done. 

An  active  committee  on  publicity  is  a  great 
help  to  the  secretary  of  any  association.  If 
there  are  newspaper  workers  in  the  member- 
ship get  them  on  this  committee,  and  open  with 
them  the  wider  aspects  of  work  for  men  and 
women,  through  printers'  ink.  Such  a  com- 
mittee, even  though  it  prove  to  be  of  minor 
assistance  to  the  secretary,  may  be  the  training 
school  from  which  will  come  effective  workers 
[121] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGEESS 

for  the  association.  If  a  newspaper  man  or 
advertising  manager  can  be  thoroughly  inter- 
ested he  will  be  invaluable  in  suggesting  ways 
of  pushing  the  work  which  may  not  occur  to 
those  most  closely  connected  with  it.  In  St. 
Paul  one  year  the  local  club  of  advertising  men 
offered  to  work  with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  prepara- 
tion or  criticism  of  advertising  matter.  Such 
points  of  contact  may  also  be  the  means  of 
lining  men  up  for  very  definite  Christian  work 
through  the  things  they  know  best. 

The  publicity  problem  of  an  association  is 
easier  than  that  of  some  other  organizations 
considered  in  this  book.  In  gymnasium,  swim- 
ming tank,  educational  classes,  and  dormitory 
privileges,  the  association  has  excellent  talking 
points  which  a  church,  for  example,  usually 
lacks.  In  fact  the  easily  uncovered  news  in  the 
gymnasium  has  in  the  past  enabled  associations 
to  get  more  publicity  than  the  majority  of  reli- 
gious organizations.  Despite  this  fact  there  has 
been  little  or  no  instruction  or  suggestion  con- 
cerning advertising  issued  by  the  international 
committee  of  either  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  or  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A. 

A  suggestive  volume  was  brought  out  a  year 
or  so  ago  by  H.  W.  Stone,  secretary  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Portland,  Ore.  This  has  been 
the  means  of  stimulating  many  associations.  At 
the  first  of  this  book,  Mr.  Stone  says:  "If  an 
[122] 


Y.    M.    C.    A.     AND     Y.    W.    C.    A. 


association  does  not  have  all  the  members  it  can 
take  care  of,  the  trouble  is  not  with  the  young 
men,  nor  the  weather,  nor  the  political  party 
in  power — but  with  the  secretary  and  the  way 
he  advertises.  If  an  association  does  not  have 
as  much  money  as  it  needs,  ninety-nine  chances 
out  of  a  hundred  the  trouble  is  not  with  the 
stinginess  of  the  people  of  the  town — but  with 
the  secretary  and  the  poor  work  of  the  secre- 
tary." 

Weight  is  given  to  this  criticism  by  the  suc- 
cess of  secretaries  whose  vision  has  been  broad 
enough  to  encompass  all  means  of  reaching  men. 
Some  executives,  on  the  other  hand,  have  been 
so  blind  to  their  own  interests  as  to  fail  to 
make  any  effort  to  cooperate  with  friendly 
newspaper  men  who  visit  their  buildings  for 
items,  ready  to  boost  the  association.  As  Mr. 
Stone  points  out,  the  local  daily  paper  will  put 
the  message  of  the  association  into  the  hands 
of  the  people  of  the  city  while  the  secretary 
sleeps  or  goes  to  the  ball  game.  Cards  and 
pamphlets,  all  right  in  many  cases,  must  be 
circulated  before  they  accomplish  any  good. 
The  newspaper  provides  circulation  machinery 
automatically. 

Many  newspapers  run  a  special  department 

of  announcements  and  news  of  the  associations. 

In  few  papers  is  it  difficult  to  gain  access  to  the 

news  columns  for  items  concerning  events  for 

[123] 


PUBLICITY    AND    P  K  O  GUESS 

which  no  admission  is  charged.  To  take  largest 
advantage  of  this  friendliness,  secretaries 
should,  however,  make  it  a  point  to  be  well 

Y.M.C.A. 

EXERCISE   TALKS 

Your  capacity  for  work 
will  be  increased  by  two 
or  three  play  periods  a 
week.  Yes,  play — for 
play  is  the  best  exercise. 
Groups  of  busy  men  like 
yourself  may  be  found  at 
every  convenient  hour  in 
the  gymnasium.  Come 
over  and  join  the  game. 

Central    Department 

19  South  LaSalle  Street 

Liberal  use  of  white  space  gave  this  ad  distinction  in  a  Chicago  daily. 

versed  in  what  papers  want,  or  hire  someone 
who  has  the  news  sense. 

In  the  multitude  of  ways  in  which  the  asso- 
ciation is  of  daily  service  to  men  and  women 
there  are  germs  of  stories  which  a  man  with 
his  mind  open  can  see  and  save  for  the  re- 
[124] 


Y.    M.    C.    A.     AND     Y.    W.    C.    A. 


porters.  Items  from  other  cities  procured  from 
Association  Men  or  from  publications  of  other 
associations  can  be  given  a  local  flavor.  New 
plans  of  work  in  Cleveland  may  be  announced 
as  under  consideration  by  the  Milwaukee 
directors,  after  a  conversation  with  one  of  the 
directors  to  make  the  item  truthful,  and  may 
lead  to  an  improvement  in  Milwaukee.  On  the 
other  hand,  an  item  may  show  how  the  system 
in  use  in  Milwaukee  excels  that  of  Cleveland  and 
thus  arouse  local  pride. 

The  gymnasium  with  its  many  athletic  con- 
tests provides  newspaper  copy,  and  the  sporting 
page  is  one  on  which  it  is  usually  easy  to  get 
space.  The  physical  director  or  the  one  in  the 
association  charged  with  publicity  work  must 
not  neglect  to  give  reporters  assistance  by  fur- 
nishing tickets  to  all  games  with  lists  of  players 
or  other  information.  The  educational  classes, 
especially  classes  in  English  for  foreigners,  are 
sources  of  good  human  interest  stories.  The 
religious  work  director  can  furnish  pictures  and 
biographical  material  concerning  the  men  who 
address  the  Sunday  meetings.  The  beginning 
of  the  Bible  study  course  should  be  given  due 
notice. 

One    of    the    large    publicity    opportunities 

missed  by  many  associations  is  that  presented 

by  the  annual  reports.    Usually  these  are  staid 

affairs;  four  page  folders  with  smaller  associa- 

[125] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGRESS 

tions.  The  first  information  offered,  as  though 
the  most  important;  is  often  the  list  of  trustees 
and  directors.  If  the  main  object  of  the  report 
is  to  impress  readers  with  the  caliber  of  the 
men  and  women  back  of  the  association,  or  if 
the  officers  are  flattered  by  such  prominent 
notice,  it  may  be  justifiable.  If,  however,  the 
object  of  the  printed  report  is  to  get  some  vital 
facts  into  the  mind  of  the  casual  reader  before 
he  tosses  it  aside,  something  more  to  the  point 
about  the  association  should  have  the  place  of 
most  importance.  Has  the  association  gained; 
how,  where  and  how  much!  Answers  to  these 
questions  will  interest  the  man  or  woman  who 
furnished  part  of  the  money,  as  well  as  the 
" prospect'7  who  wants  to  get  on  to  the  band 
wagon  and  join  a  prosperous  organization.  A 
man  may  contribute  or  join  if  he  sees  the  officers 
listed,  but  if  he  knows  that  each  night  of  the 
year  125  boys  and  men  were  kept  off  the  streets, 
playing  games  under  Christian  auspices,  he  may 
be  inclined  to  give  or  join  more  promptly.  If  a 
man  reads  that  twenty  men  increased  their  lung 
capacity,  fifty  added  weight  and  fifteen  in  the 
gymnasium  class  evaded  the  usual  attack  of 
grip,  he  may  be  induced  to  join.  The  man  who 
contributes  will,  on  the  same  showing,  be  more 
inclined  to  buy  health  for  additional  men. 

Figures  must  be  given  in  the  annual  report, 
but  they  must  be  alive.    How  many  doughnuts 
[126] 


Y.    M.    C.    A.     AND     Y.    W.    C.    A. 


were  served  in  the  cafe  the  year  before?  Is 
the  dining-room  becoming  more  popular  ?  Was 
there  an  increase  in  Bible  study  interest?  How 
many  foreigners  who  joined  classes  in  the  edu- 
cational department  were  able  by  May  to  write 
fairly  well  in  English?  Figures  in  terms  of 
men  and  women  appeal  to  everyone;  figures  in 
terms  of  dollars  and  cents  appeal  only  to  the1 
most  interested. 

Handing  out  portions  of  the  annual  report 
at  intervals  of  two  or  three  days  will  often 
get  more  publicity  from  the  papers  than  can 
be  obtained  by  giving  a  reporter  the  entire 
printed  statement.  Reporters  are  rather  skep- 
tical of  the  news  value  of  anything  so  old  that 
it  already  is  in  type,  especially  if  a  religious 
organization  be  involved.  As  the  heads  of  the 
various  departments  complete  their  figures,  let 
the  secretary  pass  the  statistics  of  greatest  news 
interest  to  the  reporters.  People  absorb  more 
information  from  a  number  of  short  stories  than 
from  one  long  one. 

Upon  the  wording  of  matter  on  cards  issued 
to  announce  Sunday  afternoon  meetings  de- 
pends in  large  measure  the  success  of  these 
gatherings.  The  secretary  in  charge  of  reli- 
gious work  can  well  afford  to  spend  as  much 
time  in  framing  the  wording  of  that  small  card 
as  he  devoted  to  getting  the  man  who  will  make 
the  address.  The  talk  will  fail  of  its  purpose 
[127] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

unless  the  men  are  there  to  hear  it.     It  is  not 
enough  to  print: 


YOU  ABE  INVITED  TO  HEAR 
Dr.  Hezekiah  Jones  of  Boston 

give  his  address, 
"An  Old  Testament  Character " 

Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Sunday  Afternoon,  3  P.  M. 
Good  Singing 


It  is  to  be  hoped  that  not  even  the  most  rushed 
man  or  woman  in  association  work  will  spend 
much  money  to  issue  such  an  announcement. 
Try  it  on  yourself.  You  don't  know  Jones,  and 
even  though  you  may  be  interested  in  the  Old 
Testament,  the  title  has  little  that  makes  worth 
while  spending  an  hour  away  from  your  com- 
fortable room. 


HE  SLEPT  WITH  LIONS 

They  were  the  man  eating  kind,  starved  to  make 
quick  work  of  anyone  whom  the  king  disliked.     But 
the   lions   merely   looked   at  their   visitor.     He   was 
not  a  professional  animal  trainer,  but — 
HE  KNEW  HE  WAS'  SAFE 

Come  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Sunday  at  3  o'clock  to 
hear  Dr.  Hezekiah  Jones  of  Boston  tell  how  he  knew. 
You'll  enjoy  the  singing.  It's  free.  You  may  meet  a 
good  friend  there. 

[128] 


Y.    M.    C.    A.     AND     Y.    W.    C.    A. 


The  second  card  in  your  hands  might  not  draw 
you  to  the  meeting.  The  chances  are,  however, 
that  it  would  do  more  to  pull  you  that  way  than 
the  first  one.  The  second  form  could  be  im- 
proved by  making  the  name  of  the  association 
more  prominent.  It  is  helpful  in  writing  an- 
nouncements of  such  meetings  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  theme  to  be  treated,  or  some  details 
of  the  speaker  himself.  If  he  began  life  as  an 
office  boy,  is  a  converted  "bum,"  or  is  known 
for  the  high  position  he  holds,  use  the  facts  to 
the  best  advantage  in  drawing  a  crowd. 

Associations  often  use  window  cards  to  good 
advantage  and  these  almost  invariably  attract 
most  attention  when  illustrated.  The  action  in 
a  basket  ball  player  or  a  swimmer  enables  the 
secretary  to  have  striking  illustrations  when  the 
event  to  be  announced  concerns  the  athletic  side 
of  the  association.  The  picture  of  a  man  about 
to  dive  is  most  striking  if  used  in  outline,  with- 
out showing  any  of  the  surrounding  tank  or 
walls.  If  a  cut  is  made  from  a  pen  and  ink 
sketch  rather  than  from  a  photograph  the  result 
on  cardboard  will  be  best. 

On  window  cards,  as  on  all  printed  matter, 
the  catch  line  must  get  attention  and  lead  to 
the  following  matter.  A  man  can  read  two  or 
three  small  words  at  a  glance.  Pack  these  with 
meaning  and  try  to  touch  a  deep  chord  in  the 
casual  reader.  Home,  mother,  friends,  loneli- 
[129] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

ness  and  some  emotions  find  universal  response. 
"We  cure  loneliness7'  advertises  a  church  club 
in  Chicago.  The  rooms  are  crowded.  The 
promise  of  friends  will  draw  a  stranger  to  the 
association.  But  the  welcome  there  must  back 
up  the  advertising. 

This  matter  of  "delivering  the  goods "  can 
make  or  break  an  association.  If  the  advertis- 
ing leads  a  man  to  expect  something  that  he 
doesn't  get,  he  will  not  come  again,  and  the 
"repeaters"  furnish  the  most  business,  to  speak 
in  terms  of  commerce.  If  the  advertising  must 
each  season,  or  each  week,  find  an  entirely  new 
set  of  men  to  attract,  because  the  ones  reached 
before  were  repelled  in  some  way,  the  adver- 
tising fails,  as  does  the  association. 

Want  ad  columns  of  daily  papers  provide  a 
splendid  medium  through  which  men  may  be 
reached.  Foreign  language  papers  may  be  used 
to  advantage  in  attracting  those  who  may  wish 
to  learn  English.  Posters  in  foreign  tongues 
placed  near  industrial  plants  are  a  wonderful 
help. 

No  wise  secretary  will  omit  from  his  pub- 
licity plans  ample  arrangements  for  letting  the 
directors  and  members  know  what  is  going  on 
in  the  various  departments.  The  men  who  give 
their  time  and  money  to  help  direct  the  asso- 
ciation are  entitled  to  know  much  of  its  work. 
When  the  secretary  gets  an  appreciative  letter 
[130] 


Y.    M.    C.    A.     AND     Y.    W.    C.    A. 


from  a  boy  or  girl,  or  from  a  parent,  have  it 
copied  and  sent  to  each  director.  It  will  make 
the  business  man  feel  that  he  is  in  intimate 
touch  with  the  association;  it  will  increase  his 
interest  and  thought  and  make  larger  work  pos- 
sible. All  well  thought  out  publicity  efforts 
result  in  widening  waves  of  influence,  the  ulti- 
mate good  of  which  can  never  be  fully  measured. 
Browning  says  that  no  good  thing  is  ever  lost, 
and  the  influence  of  a  printed  word  is  never 
stopped. 


[131] 


CHAPTER   VIII 

USING  NEWSPAPERS  TO  BOOST 
CONVENTIONS 


Some  plans  usable  by  conventions  of  all  sorts — Before 
the  convention  meets — While  in  session — After  the  dele- 
gates go  home — How  a  state  Sunday  school  convention 
was  made  known — Modification  needed  for  national  con- 
vention— Interviews  useful — Successful  plan  of  summer 
conference  easily  adapted — Detailed  publicity  plan  for 
small  conference. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

USING   NEWSPAPERS   TO   BOOST   CONVENTIONS 

IN  few  connections  does  the  psychology  of 
crowds  apply  with  such  force  as  with  pub- 
licity for  conventions.  If  potential  dele- 
gates see  details  of  the  coming  gathering  in 
their  daily  papers,  in  publications  representing 
the  interests  involved  in  the  convention,  and  in 
circulars  or  letters  sent  to  them,  the  resulting 
effect  is  much  greater  than  the  sum  of  the  parts. 
There  is  an  effect  produced  which  pulls  the  man 
or  woman  toward  that  meeting,  and  if  the  pub- 
licity is  handled  well,  it  will  turn  the  possible 
delegate  into  a  zealous  worker  for  the  meeting, 
thus  spreading  the  influence. 

The  plans  suggested  here  can  be  adapted  to 
gatherings  of  county,  state  or  national  bodies, 
and  the  scheme  for  national  gatherings  can 
easily  be  extended  to  cover  international  con- 
ventions. The  same  publicity  ideas  will  work 
with  church,  Sunday  school,  Epworth  League, 
or  Odd  Fellow  conventions,  charities  and  correc- 
tion conferences,  tuberculosis  gatherings,  or  any 
similar  meetings.  The  underlying  principles, 
moreover,  are  the  same  for  a  convention  of 
retail  grocers,  marble  dealers  or  photographers. 

Conventions  of  the  sort  dealt  with  here  are 
[135] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

almost  always  voluntary  gatherings.  Mental  or 
moral  benefit  to  the  individual  is  the  only  profit 
involved  in  attendance,  aside  from  pleasure. 
The  problem  is  to  arouse  sufficient  interest  to 
make  the  prospect  believe  that  the  convention 
is  worth  the  $5  or  the  $200  which  attendance 
will  cost.  The  managers  of  the  publicity  have 
the  same  problem  that  confronts  the  seller  of  a 
soda  biscuit  with  the  added  difficulty  of  creating 
a  desire  where  none  exists. 

Publicity  plans  for  any  convention  should  take 
into  account  three  rather  distinct  phases  :  1.  Be- 
fore the  convention.  2.  While  it  is  in  progress. 
3.  After  the  delegates  get  home.  To  neglect 
the  last  point  is  like  quitting  a  mile  run  before 
the  last  100  yards.  The  second  phase  is  the 
easiest  to  manage  because  local  papers,  except 
in  the  largest  cities,  take  care  of  convention 
publicity  without  much  assistance. 

Advance  work  for  county,  district  and  state 
conventions  is  much  the  same.  The  first  con- 
cern is  with  the  papers  of  the  town  in  which  the 
convention  is  to  be  held.  Publicity  may  be 
needed  there  to  awaken  interest,  as  for  a  Sun- 
day school  meeting,  or  to  incite  the  extension  of 
hospitality,  as  when  a  large  church  gathering 
convenes.  Unless  the  papers  are  very  generous, 
the  latter  publicity  should  be  accompanied  by 
paid  advertisements  to  make  the  direct  appeal. 
Newspapers  should  not  be  asked  to  print  as 
[136] 


NEWSPAPEKS     TO      BOOST     CONVENTIONS 

news  two  or  three  similarly  worded  announce- 
ments "that  the  committee  on  entertainment 
hopes  that  many  more  homes  will  be  opened  for 
the  entertainment  of  delegates  to  our  city." 
Interest  in  the  meeting  may  be  aroused  by 
proper  news  stories,  and  the  homes  will  open 
naturally. 

The  way  in  which  the  publicity  was  handled 
for  a  recent  convention  of  the  Minnesota  Sun- 
day school  association  may  be  suggestive,  al- 
though by  no  means  ideal.  The  state  secretary 
asked  an  editor  who  was  interested  in  church 
work  to  take  charge  of  the  publicity,  thankful 
to  be  relieved  and  anxious  to  take  whatever 
assistance  the  busy  newspaper  man  could 
render.  The  convention  was  scheduled  in  ten 
days  to  meet  in  St.  Paul,  second  largest  city 
of  the  state.  Copies  of  the  program  had  al- 
ready been  sent  to  papers  in  other  towns  of  the 
state,  and  efforts  were  to  be  centered  on  the 
convention  city  to  arouse  interest  there,  as  al- 
ready there  was  promise  of  good  attendance 
from  the  smaller  towns. 

The  pseudo  publicity  manager  was  asked  to 
act  on  a  Friday  morning  and  was  given  pictures 
of  four  speakers,  a  copy  of  the  program  and  a 
little  other  information,  although  no  one  knew 
just  what  some  of  the  speakers  had  written  or 
where  they  came  from ;  they  were  '  *  well  known 
Sunday  school  workers. "  The  principal  Sun- 
[137] 


PUBLICITY    ANDPROGRESS 

day  paper  in  St.  Paul  at  that  time  made  large 
use  of  illustrations  of  local  subjects,  and  the 
Sunday  editor  readily  agreed  to  use  a  story 
with  a  three  column  "layout"  with  pictures  on 
the  week  following.  It  was  then  too  late  for 
the  next  Sunday  paper  so  far  as  the  pictures 
were  concerned,  but  there  was  time  for  a  news 
story  about  the  convention,  covering  the  main 
features.  By  the  next  Tuesday  the  pictures  and 
story  for  the  following  Sunday  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  Sunday  editor.  The  paper  made 
the  cuts  from  photographs,  adapting  them  to 
the  size  wanted  by  the  editor.  During  the  week, 
items  about  minor  phases  of  the  convention  ap- 
peared from  day  to  day  in  the  local  papers. 

If  it  had  been  possible  to  have  the  services  of 
an  experienced  publicity  man  for  the  prelimi- 
nary work  of  this  convention  the  matter  would 
have  been  more  thoroughly  exploited.  Editors 
like  to  get  local  stories.  An  item  about  John 
Smith  of  Ourtown  is  worth  much  more  than  is 
an  account  of  a  similar  event  in  connection  with 
John  Smith  of  Othertown.  This  principle  in- 
duces clever  publicity  managers  to  find  a  story 
which  will  pass  as  a  local  item  in  the  paper  to 
which  it  is  sent.  Such  an  item  as  the  following 
might  have  been  sent  to  papers  in  small  towns, 
several  weeks  before  the  convention : 

Local    Sunday   school    workers    are    looking 
forward  with  interest  to  the  state  Sunday  school 
[138] 


NEWSPAPERS      TO      BOOST      CONVENTIONS 

convention  which  will  be  held  in  St.  Paul,  July 
15-18.  Some  of  the  best  informed  speakers  on 
Sunday  school  problems  in  the  country  will  be 
on  the  program.  The  railways  have  offered 
reduced  rates. 

The  following  week  another  item  might  have 
been  sent  out,  something  like  this : 

Every  third  boy  and  girl  in  Minnesota  under 
18  years  of  age  gets  no  regular  Bible  instruc- 
tion in  connection  with  his  church,  according  to 
state  Sunday  school  officers.  The  coming  state 
convention  in  St.  Paul,  July  15-18,  will  consider 
the  problem  of  enlisting  more  children  in  the 
Sunday  schools  of  the  state.  A  number  of  local 
workers  will  go  to  St.  Paul. 

The  statement  at  the  first  of  this  paragraph 
must  of  course  be  verified.  Some  equally  inter- 
esting item  can  be  substituted  in  similar  cam- 
paigns. The  total  attendance  of  the  Sunday 
schools  compared  with  the  school  census  will 
give  astonishing  figures  in  many  states.  The 
two  suggested  news  items  are  unlike,  yet  each 
gives  the  name,  place,  date  and  the  suggestion 
that  people  should  attend. 

Items  of  this  sort  can  be  prepared  in  multiple 
with  the  help  of  carbon  paper.  A  mimeograph 
can  be  used  to  good  advantage.  Longer  items, 
including  names  of  prominent  speakers  and 
leaders  in  the  state  association,  should  be  sent 
[139] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGEESS 

to  papers  in  towns  of  1,000  and  upward,  where 
there  is  a  typesetting  machine  used,  or  to  towns 
where  there  are  daily  papers.  It  is  rather  ex- 
pensive in  proportion  to  results  to  attempt  to 
send  cuts  to  many  papers.  In  this  campaign, 
if  there  had  been  time,  pictures  might  have  been 
sent  to  papers  in  Duluth,  Minneapolis  and  St. 
Paul.  The  pictures  and  accompanying  article 
should,  however,  not  be  the  same  for  the  Duluth 
Herald  as  for  the  Duluth  News  Tribune.  Where 
there  are  two  papers  in  a  town,  each  should 
have  a  different  article.  The  story  sent  to  the 
Herald  might  with  all  propriety,  however,  be 
offered  to  the  Minneapolis  Journal  and  St.  Paul 
Dispatch — evening  papers — for  simultaneous 
publication.  All  such  articles  should  be  marked 
to  be  "released"  on  a  certain  date.  Usually 
morning  newspapers  have  more  space  than  have 
evening  papers.  To  reach  approximately  two- 
thirds  of  the  people  of  Minnesota  through  the 
daily  and  weekly  press  would  require  about  four 
different  articles  on  any  one  day;  one  each  for 
morning  and  evening  dailies,  another,  which 
might  be  part  of  the  first  two,  for  the  smaller 
dailies,  and  the  fourth  for  weeklies  where  the 
type  is  set  by  hand.  This  plan  can  be  modified 
in  many  ways  to  fit  the  needs  of  county  or  dis- 
trict conventions.  The  actual  work  involved  is 
not  large.  Often  a  reporter  to  whom  the 
general  plan  is  explained  can  furnish  the 
[140] 


NEWSPAPERS  TO   BOOST  CONVENTIONS 

articles,  and  a  stenographer  can  manifold  them 
and  address  the  envelopes  from  a  directory  of 
newspapers. 

One  man  and  a  stenographer  can  be  kept  very 
busy  for  several  months  preceding  a  national 
convention  if  the  most  is  to  be  made  of  the 
possibilities  in  bringing  psychology  to  bear 
upon  "  prospects. "  The  plan  for  a  state  cam- 
paign outlined  above  can  of  course  be  applied  to 
every  state,  in  the  case  of  a  national  conven- 
tion. It  must,  however,  be  a  convention  of  ab- 
sorbing interest  to  a  very  large  number  of 
people  to  justify  such  thorough  work.  If  most 
of  the  dailies  are  to  be  reached  with  live  news, 
a  publicity  manager  will  have  his  hands  full. 
In  a  national  convention  there  are  secular,  reli- 
gious or  class  weeklies  to  be  considered  in  addi- 
tion to  the  dailies.  Less  definite  rules  can  be 
laid  down  for  such  papers,  because  they  are 
more  individual  and  treat  news  in  varying 
ways.  In  general,  however,  all  matter  sent  out 
should  be  compact  and  state  facts,  without  an 
appeal  to  attend  the  coming  meeting.  Direct 
appeal  may  be  avoided  by  writing :  ' '  Delegates 
who  attended  this  convention  last  year  unite 
in  saying  that  the  inspiration  and  help  received 
more  than  repaid  for  the  time  and  money, ' '  or 
something  of  that  sort.  Never  use  the  first 
person  in  such  items.  To  write,  as  part  of  an 
item  to  be  printed,  "we  trust  the  attendance 
[141] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

will  be  large, "  stamps  the  whole  convention,  in 
the  eyes  of  discriminating  editors,  as  run  by 
men  who  are  not  efficient.  Well  edited  papers 
never  make  such  appeals  or  express  opinions 
in  that  manner  in  their  news  columns. 

The  press  associations  constitute  another 
field  which  is  open  to  conventions  of  some  sorts. 
The  Associated  Press  may  carry  a  short  item 
of  some  special  feature  before  the  convention. 
The  concerns  which  print  the  insides  of  many 
country  weeklies  and  which  prepare  plate  matter 
for  smaller  papers  may  be  able  to  use  something 
from  some  conventions,  but  the  editors  of  these 
associations  usually  have  more  exciting  news 
than  they  are  able  to  handle. 

By  sending  matrices  of  cuts  to  medium  sized 
dailies  it  is  possible  to  get  picture  publicity  at 
small  cost.  The  papers  which  have  stereotyping 
plants  can  make  their  own  cuts  easily  from  the 
"mat,"  which  costs  ten  cents  or  less. 

Many  zealous  publicity  committees  stop  their 
work  with  the  gathering  of  the  delegates,  de- 
pending on  local  papers  to  see  that  the  world 
learns  what  is  accomplished.  This  is  safe  if 
the  preliminary  work  has  been  well  done.  Pub- 
licity committees  can  make  themselves  beloved 
by  reporters  and  add  to  the  volume  of  publicity 
obtained,  by  procuring  in  advance,  copies  of  all 
important  speeches  or  reports.  Someone  who 
is  easily  accessible  to  reporters  should  also  be 
[142] 


NEWSPAPERS      TO      BOOST      CONVENTIONS 

provided  with  facts  as  to  attendance,  details  of 
meetings  and  participants. 

Shall  the  committee  heave  a  sigh  of  relief 
when  the  convention  is  over!  There  are  yet 
fruitful  possibilities  for  many  gatherings.  Each 
delegate,  especially  at  a  state  convention,  or  at 
a  small  gathering  of  representatives  from  sev- 
eral states,  may  carry  home  with  him  an  inter- 
view for  his  local  papers,  summarizing  the 
interesting  features  of  the  gathering.  This 
usually  will  be  gladly  received  by  city  editors, 
especially  in  small  cities.  Those  who  didn't  go 
to  the  convention  will  by  this  method  see  the 
good  things  they  missed  and  resolve  to  attend 
next  time.  The  influence  of  the  gathering  may 
thus  be  extended  to  a  wide  constituency.  This 
scheme  has  been  used  by  railway  companies  with 
profitable  results.  Where  such  an  interview 
relates  to  non-commercial  enterprises  the 
amount  of  publicity  depends  on  the  degree  of 
general  interest  which  can  be  crammed  into  the 
report.  Editors  like  to  get  an  interview  with 
a  man,  especially  one  prominent  in  the  com- 
munity. It  gives  variety  to  the  news  columns 
and  attracts  readers. 

One  of  the  first  notable  uses  of  this  idea  with 
missionary  gatherings  was  in  connection  with 
the  Laymen's  Missionary  Conference  at  Lake 
Geneva  in  1913.  There  were  150  men  from 
eighteen  states  studying  how  to  train  leaders  of 
[143] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

the  campaign  to  canvass  every  member  of  the 
Protestant  denominations  to  give  something  to 
missions.  On  the  last  day,  each  delegate  was 
given  a  mimeographed  copy  of  an  interview 
with  himself  with  space  to  insert  his  name.  He 
was  asked  to  have  the  whole  thing  copied  and 
give  it  to  the  editor  of  one  of  his  home  papers 
as  soon  as  he  returned.  There  was  no  way  of 
checking  results,  but  no  reports  were  received 
of  refusal  to  print  the  article.  There  were 
many  evidences  to  show  that  the  editors  were 
glad  to  comply  with  the  request  of  their  reader. 
This  news  article  is  not  flawless,  but  it  is  given 
to  show  how  a  fairly  good  news  story  is  con- 
structed. It  has  a  local  interest.  There  is 
something  to  challenge  the  reader  who  is  not  a 
churchgoer,  and  the  quoted  matter  is  scattered 
to  give  variety.  Mission  facts  are  added  so  that 
the  arti.cle  is  virtually  a  missionary  tract. 


NOTE  TO  EDITORS: 

Use  as  much  of  this  as  you  care  for.  It  is 
given  to  no  other  paper  in  your  territory.  It 
may  do  for  a  Sunday  story. 


All  of  the  Protestant  churches  of  this  city 
will  join  in  a  movement  during  a  week  next 
March  which  will  engage  the  active  cooperation 
of  a  million  men.  By  the  simple  process  of 
asking  every  church  member  to  pledge  some- 
thing, however  little,  to  missions  it  is  expected 
[144] 


WEEKCAMPAI6N 

TO  RAISEFUND 

FOR  MISSIONS 

MILLION  MEN  TO  ENGAGE  IN  AC- 
TIVE WORK. 

WJ,  JENNINGS  TELLS 
OF  CONFERENCE 

Sterling  Man  Writes  Interesting  Be- 

port  of  Work  Accomplished 

at  lake  Geneva. 


.All  the  Protestant  cnurch  of  this 
city  are  expected  to  join  in  a  move- 
ment during  a  week  next  March; 
which  will  engage  the  active  CO-OD- 
eration  of  *-  flljllion  men.  By  tha 
simple  pr6cess  of  asking  every 
church  member  to  pledge  something, 
uowever- little,  to  missions,  it  is  ex- 
pected that  these  million  men  will 
obtain  pledges  for  $10,000,0(H)  more 
than  has  ever  been  given  to  missions 
before. 

"Local   churches   will  Juaye   their 
share  in  this,"  said  the  delegates  who 
hare  just  returned  from  .bake  Gen- 
eva, Wia.,  where^  m«n  ot  the  Central 
4  West  have- been  conducting,  tnis  huge 
*arch  *nir.prnrise.     '"This  simultau- 
•»teT'V    memoer    canvass,"    said 
tes,  "Is  but  a  carrying  into 
he  .efficiency  methods  of 
tne  whole  countty 
«   the   20,000^00 
^bers  give  to 
«ly  to  givd 
^a   but 
to 

The  way  an  Illinois  paper  headed  the  interview  described  on  page  143. 


NEWSPAPEKS   TO   BOOST   CONVENTIONS 

that  these  million  men  will  obtain  pledges  for 
$10,000,000  more  than  has  ever  been  given  to 
missions  before. 

"  Local  churches  will  have  their  share  in 
this"  said  — • —  of  -  -  church,  who  has  just 
returned  from  Lake  Geneva,  Wis.,  where  men 
of  the  central  west  have  been  starting  this  huge 
church  enterprise.  "This  simultaneous  every 
member  canvass,"  said  Mr.  -  — ,  "is  but  a 
carrying  into  church  life  the  efficiency  methods 
of  business.  Over  the  whole  country  only  half 
of  the  20,000,000  Protestant  church  members 
give  to  missions.  They  are  all  ready  to  give  to 
support  their  own  portion  but  not  all  are  suffi- 
ciently unselfish  to  see  their  money  used  to  have 
preachers  go  to  peoples  who  cannot  get  reli- 
gious instruction  in  any  other  way.  Many  of 
those  who  do  give  something  are  not  very  regu- 
lar. The  plan  which  has  been  worked  out  in 
two  denominations  of  the  country  provides  that 
on  a  certain  week  every  member  of  the  church 
all  over  the  nation  shall  be  asked  to  pledge 
some  regular  amount  to  mission  work. 

"The  United  Presbyterians  tried  this  first. 
They  already  gave  more  money  per  capita  than 
any  other  denomination  and  yet  by  simply  ask- 
ing people  all  at  the  same  time  and  reaching  all 
of  them,  they  raised  their  total  offerings  from 
$600,000  to  over  $800,000  in  one  year.  The 
secretaries  of  all  the  Protestant  mission  boards 
for  the  United  States  and  Canada  have  endorsed 
this  plan  and  are  loaning  their  best  men  to 
push  it." 

Mr.  -     -  says  that  instruction  in  methods  of 
[147] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

doing  this  large  job  of  soliciting  will  be  given 
by  teams  of  men  who  will  visit  various  cities  for 
conference  with  local  church  men.  Already  ar- 
rangements have  been  made  for  600  of  these 
conferences  and  it  is  the  aim  to  reach  as  many 
as  possible  of  the  cities  of  America  of  5,000 
population  and  over  of  which  there  are  1,250. 

Some  denominations  are  making  specially 
large  efforts  to  reach  every  member  in  the 
weeks  designated.  The  Disciples  of  Christ  will 
train  the  members  of  their  1,000  Brotherhoods 
to  do  this  work.  The  Methodists  have  arranged 
the  biggest  convention  of  men  of  that  denomi- 
nation ever  held  at  Indianapolis  this  fall.  Other 
churches  are  taking  other  means  of  joining  this 
biggest  cooperative  church  work  ever  attempted. 

The  churches  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  will  hold  a 
big  gathering  in  February  and  the  executive 
secretary  of  the  federation  of  churches  of  that 
city  was  at  Lake  Geneva,  getting  ideas  for  the 
campaign. 

In  preparation  for  the  canvass  in  March 
the  Laymen 's  Missionary  Movement  has  been 
asked  by  a  committee  representing  the  Home 
and  Foreign  Mission  Boards  to  take  charge  of 
the  preliminary  work. 

Mr.  -  -  says  that  Canada  as  well  as  the 
United  States  will  join  in  this  canvass  so  that 
practically  every  Protestant  church  north  of 
Mexico  will  be  at  work  on  the  same  thing  at 
the  same  time.  "It  is  the  greatest  example  of 
church  union  ever  given  in  the  country, "  ac- 
cording to  the  local  delegate. 
[148] 


NEWSPAPEKS     TO      BOOST      CONVENTIONS 

The  country  churches  will  also  be  reached  by 
the  teams  from  the  cities  so  that  the  impetus 
will  be  given  the  rural  parishes  as  well. 

In  connection  with  the  recent  conference  a 
number  of  missionaries  told  of  their  experience 
among  many  sorts  of  foreign  peoples.  One  of 
these  young  men  who  has  been  a  teacher  in 
India  ten  years  told  of  the  foundation  of  the 
order  of  Sikhs — one  of  the  peculiar  religions 
of  that  country.  The  originator  of  this  religion 
tried  to  take  the  best  of  Christianity  and  all 
other  religions  of  India  to  make  a  new  faith. 
He  gathered  5,000  people  in  a  natural  amphi- 
theater with  a  tent  behind  him.  He  explained 
to  the  people  that  no  religion  could  exist  with- 
out the  shedding  of  blood  for  it.  He  drew  a 
sword  and  asked  for  five  volunteers  to  offer 
themselves  as  sacrifices  for  their  religion.  They 
were  to  be  heads  of  families  so  that  their  sacri- 
fice would  entail  suffering  for  the  faith.  Slowly 
and  quietly  one  man  rose  and  came  to  the  tent. 
He  entered  with  the  founder  who  reappeared 
shortly  with  a  dripping  sword.  One  by  one 
four  other  men  entered  the  tent  of  slaughter, 
then  the  tent  was  opened  and  the  five  unharmed 
men  stood  before  five  dead  lambs.  The  men, 
however,  were  denied  their  liberty  and  were 
sent  about  telling  of  the  religion. 

Savage  Mohammedans  of  the  Philippine  Is- 
lands who  achieve  their  highest  religious  experi- 
ence by  killing  a  Christian  were  also  described. 


Summer  conferences  in  the  interest  of  mis- 
sions, Bible  Study,  religious  education  and  allied 
[149] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

subjects,  which  seem  to  be  growing  in  number  in 
all  parts  of  the  country,  are  lamentably  weak 
in  publicity.  Such  meetings  lend  themselves 
well  to  illustration.  They  are  usually  held  near 
a  lake,  and  pictures  of  the  quiet  surroundings 
have  a  suggestion  to  some  people  more  appeal- 
ing than  any  list  of  speakers.  The  schedule  of 
attractions  should  be  given  along  with  the  pic- 
tures. In  this  as  in  all  printed  matter  the  usual 
and  formal  announcement  should  be  looked  at 
three  times  before  being  put  into  type.  "The 
third  annual  Bible  conference  at  Silver  Bay, 
August  10-20 "  in  big  type  on  a  placard  will 
interest  people  who  have  been  there  before  and 
intend  to  go  every  year,  no  matter  who  speaks. 
They  desire  to  know  only  the  dates.  But  such 
people  would  come  if  the  heading  had  read 
something  like  this :  i '  Learn  more  of  the  inner 
meaning  of  the  Bible  among  the  trees  at  quiet 
Silver  Bay,  August  10  to  20.  Annual  Bible 
Conference."  Such  a  heading  will  get  the  eye 
of  all  Bible  students;  many  who  would  like  to 
become  students;  and  a  few  who  want  a  quiet 
place  to  rest  with  Christian  surroundings. 

So  in  printed  matter  for  all  sorts  of  conven- 
tions and  conferences,  give  a  taste  of  what  may 
be  expected,  in  order  to  whet  the  appetite.  This 
requires  knowledge  of  the  subjects  and  some 
thought.  It  may  take  trouble  to  get  the  in- 
formation, but  the  program  or  booklet  may  be 
[150] 


NEWSPAPERS     TO      BOOST      CONVENTIONS 

the  only  word  of  the  convention  which  will 
reach  some  man.  Write  the  matter  with  the 
idea  that  you  must  persuade  that  man  to  come, 
and  do  as  much  thinking  and  praying  over  that 
job  of  writing  as  though  you  had  five  minutes 
to  talk  to  one  man  and  he  might  be  the  only 
one  who  would  come  to  the  big  meeting  for 
which  many  preparations  had  been  made.  Pack 
the  words  with  meaning,  and  never  cumber  good 
white  space  with  words  which  can  be  left  out 
without  weakening  the  thought. 

A  little  thought  will  often  mean  a  big  crowd 
at  a  meeting  instead  of  a  fair  sized  audience. 
Suppose  there  is  to  be  a  missionary  gathering 
or  church  convention  at  which  a  missionary 
from  the  Congo  is  to  speak.  If  the  publicity 
manager  knows  that  the  missionary  comes  from 
a  station  600  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
where  men  who  were  cannibals  ten  years  before 
are  now  deacons  and  elders,  he  can  use  the 
facts  to  advantage.  Persons  who  have  a  slight 
inclination  to  attend  the  meeting  would  feel  an 
extra  strong  impulse  to  see  the  man  who  had 
done  this  to  native  Africans.  What  the  speaker 
at  any  meeting  has  accomplished,  or  the  posi- 
tion he  holds  in  his  denomination  or  sect,  may 
help  furnish  publicity  material. 

Officers  of  non-commercial  organizations 
must  remember  that  they  occupy  in  a  measure 
a  public  position  and  what  they  do  and  what 
[151] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

they  say  lias  a  value  because  of  the  position 
they  fill.  H.  K.  Caskey,  secretary  of  the 
Laymen's  Missionary  Movement  for  Canada, 
relates  an  experience  he  once  had  in  Winnipeg 
when  the  city  editor  of  a  paper  called  him  on 
the  telephone  after  he  had  been  in  town  for 
several  days. 

"Is  this  Mr.  Caskey,  the  secretary  for  lay- 
men?" 

"Yes." 

"Why  haven't  you  been  around  to  see  us?" 

"Well,  I  still  have  a  remnant  of  my  native 
modesty  left." 

"As  a  private  citizen,"  came  the  accusing 
voice  over  the  telephone,  "H.  K.  Caskey  may 
be  modest,  but  as  secretary  of  the  Laymen's 
Missionary  Movement  you  have  no  right  to  hide 
your  light.  A  reporter  will  be  right  up  to  see 
you." 

Many  men  shrink  from  publicity  for  them- 
selves, although  some  seem  utterly  to  lack  that 
estimable  quality,  but  men  in  office  of  church 
or  philanthropic  organizations  must  be  ready 
to  bear  publicity  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  they 
represent.  Reporters  are,  however,  as  keen  as 
a  two  edged  sword  in  detecting  the  man  who 
wants  his  name  in  caps  and  his  organization  in 
lower  case  type. 

The  following  boiled  down  plan  for  interest- 
ing the  men  of  a  small  city  in  a  conference  of 
[152] 


NEWSPAPEKS      TO      BOOST      CONVENTIONS 

workers  was  prepared  for  the  Laymen 's  Mis- 
sionary Movement  for  the  use  of  leaders  in  the 
conferences  held  generally  over  the  country 
during  the  winter  of  1913-14  to  further  the  every 
member  canvass  of  churches.  It  may  contain 
something  that  is  helpful. 

Most  men  take  a  larger  interest  in  a  confer- 
ence or  meeting  if  they  see  some  reference  to  it 
in  their  family  newspaper.  Is  this  true  with 
you?  Try  it  on  the  conference  by  getting  into 
the  local  papers  something  about  the  coming 
gathering.  By  all  means  see  that  the  papers 
know  all  about  the  details  of  the  simultaneous 
canvass  when  that  is  undertaken. 

Editors  are  human  beings  engaged  in  a  semi- 
public  task  and  on  investigation  you  will  find 
very  few  of  them  who  are  not  willing  to  assist 
in  publicity  for  any  church  movement  where 
admission  is  not  charged.  Call  on  the  editor, 
or  city  editor — but  not  when  he  is  specially 
busy.  About  3  P.  M.  a  city  editor,  whether  of 
morning  or  evening  paper,  is  usually  at  com- 
parative repose.  Tell  him  how  many  citizens 
are  interested  in  the  canvass  and  show  him  the 
uniqueness  of  the  country-wide  aspects.  Fur- 
nish the  editor,  or  reporter  to  whom  he  may 
introduce  you,  something  about  the  speakers  at 
the  conference.  Incidents  in  connection  with 
some  of  the  missionaries  who  compose  the 
team  of  speakers  may  be  available  for  the  news 
columns.  Be  liberal  with  personal  invitations 
to  any  dinner  or  meeting  held. 

Preparations  for  the  every  member  canvass 
[153] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

in  your  city  can  begin  in  the  papers  as  soon  as 
you  return  from  the  preliminary  conference. 
Tell  the  editor,  or  write  him  a  story  of  the  pur- 
pose of  the  conference  and  how  the  canvass 
will  touch  the  people  of  Yourtown.  If  you  have 
had  no  experience  in  writing  for  the  papers, 
enlist  some  one  who  has,  or  do  the  best  you 
can,  and  do  it  at  once.  News  won't  stay  news 
much  longer  than  sweet  milk  will  retain  its 
flavor. 

One  or  more  from  the  united  churches  in 
each  town  should  act  as  publicity  committee  for 
the  city  canvass.  Two  weeks  before  the  can- 
vass take  several  large  advertisers,  Christians, 
with  you,  and  ask  the  personal  cooperation  of 
the  editors.  Follow  suggestions  of  the  editor  as 
to  kind  of  copy  and  when  it  is  wanted.  If  the 
campaign  starts  with  a  dinner,  don't  forget  the 
editor  and  a  reporter  and  send  them  a  story 
about  it  the  day  before.  Have  on  tap  for  stories 
when  interest  is  low,  figures  on  total  city  gifts 
to  foreign  missions  last  year,  and  total  mission 
gifts  per  capita  by  churches  and  city. 

Get  short  quotations  from  each  pastor  in 
town  commending  the  canvass,  and  put  into  the 
mouth  of  each  different  facts,  so  that  the  whole 
story  will  be  told  and  each  won't  say  exactly 
the  same  thing  about  the  advantages  of  the 
canvass.  Each  night  during  the  canvass,  if  it 
extends  a  week,  find  the  total  subscribed  by  all 
churches  and  send  result  to  papers,  if  you  have 
a  daily.  Send  it  that  night  if  for  a  morning 
sheet.  Keep  in  touch  with  nearby  cities  which 
have  held  or  are  holding  canvasses.  Compare 
results,  start  a  little  rivalry.  Don't  make  the 
[154] 


NEWSPAPERS  TO  BOOST  CONVENTIONS 

editor  or  reporter  do  work  your  publicity  com- 
mittee should  do.  Consult  them,  but  they  have 
many  duties.  Help  by  giving  them  typewritten 
copy,  double  spaced,  one  side  of  paper,  unless 
you  can  make  them  so  eager  for  news  that  they 
will  be  glad  to  spend  their  money  to  get  news 
for  you. 

Unique  experiences  of  canvassers  may  be 
worked  into  a  Sunday  story  in  many  towns, 
but  don't  moralize!  Nothing  but  news — never 
opinion — should  go  into  news  columns.  Quote 
someone  in  town  if  you  want  to  "get  by"  with 
an  opinion. 

In  spreading  the  canvass  to  other  towns  by 
emissaries,  send  news  of  their  coming  in  ad- 
vance to  editors,  announcing  time  and  place 
of  meeting  with  striking  facts.  To  reach  the 
people  through  a  paper  published  Thursday, 
as  many  are,  for  a  meeting  on  Wednesday, 
news  must  be  mailed  the  second  Monday  or 
Tuesday  preceding. 

Above  all  things  don't  fail  to  make  use  of  the 
papers  merely  because  you  never  have  done  it. 
"The  world  does  move." 


[155] 


CHAPTER  IX 

CIVIC  RIGHTEOUSNESS  VIA 
PRINTER'S  INK 


News  of  reforms  will  usually  be  available  for  papers — 
How  a  few  men  in  a  western  city  closed  saloons  through 
publicity — Atlanta  wiped  out  houses  of  ill  fame  with  ads — 
Series  of  temperance  ads  costing  $16.60  aroused  Montclair 
— Good  health  for  a  state  via  publicity  methods — How 
libraries  and  other  city  institutions  may  profitably  adver- 
tise what  they  have  for  the  public. 


CHAPTER  IX 


CIVIC    RIGHTEOUSNESS    VIA    PRINTER *S    INK 


ANY  campaign  in  the  newspapers,  in 
either  the  news  columns  or  advertising 
space,  which  is  designed  to  change  the 
attitude  of  people  of  a  city  toward  vice  or  law- 
lessness, is  necessarily  a  long  fight.  The  modern 
city  is  usually  so  organized  that  there  are 
plenty  of  openings  for  vice  and  violation  of 
law  if  the  people  are  indifferent  or  actually 
favor  insults  to  decency.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
people  are  in  earnest  about  closing  saloons 
when  the  law  requires,  destroying  the  red  light 
district,  stopping  the  sale  of  cigarettes  to 
minors  or  preventing  any  other  infractions  of 
law  which  commercialized  vice  believes  to  its 
interest;  it  can  be  done.  Because  enforcement 
of  some  laws  is  closely  related  to  the  power  by 
virtue  of  which  politicians  hold  public  office, 
newspaper  help  in  such  matters  is  in  some  cities 
very  weak  and  spasmodic.  There  are  ways, 
however,  in  which  papers  may  be  forced  to 
print  news  of  reform  movements,  unless  indeed 
they  care  to  acknowledge  openly  that  all  such 
information  is  to  be  suppressed.  If  a  paper  is 
fair  in  its  news  columns,  no  matter  what  the 
[159] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

editorial  columns  may  approve,  there  is  hope 
of  help  for  the  reformers. 

An  extra  large  amount  of  the  quality  de- 
nominated sticktoitiveness  is  needed  in  a  fight 
of  this  sort,  but  the  effort  pays,  for  public 
sentiment  in  most  cities  can  be  created  against 
vice  more  quickly  through  the  papers  than 
through  the  pulpits.  The  press  is  usually  ready 
to  assist  in  any  such  crusade  if  all  the  ministers 
are  behind  the  movement  and  it  is  managed  in 
a  statesmanlike  manner. 

It  has  already  been  shown  in  considering  pos- 
sible publicity  for  churches,  conventions  and 
Christian  associations  how  news  items  may  be 
given  to  the  press,  written  in  newspaper  style, 
concerning  events  which  have  occurred  or  are 
about  to  occur.  There  is  another  phase  of  pub- 
licity used  by  politicians  and  commercial  in- 
terests which  is  especially  useful  in  a  serious 
effort  of  the  people  of  a  city  or  county  to  sup- 
press vice.  This  plan  involves  the  formation 
of  an  association  or  the  revitalization  of  an 
existing  one  which  will  do  something  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  papers  and  give  reformers 
an  opportunity  to  put  facts  before  people  which 
otherwise  the  papers  would  with  full  justifica- 
tion refuse  to  print  as  news. 

If  certain  saloons  are  running  after  legal 
hours  and  anyone  has  the  courage  to  try  to 
close  them  there  are  several  courses  open.  The 
[160] 


EIGHT ECUS NESS      VIA      PRINTER^      INK 


chief  of  police  may  be  requested  to  act.  Coming 
from  an  individual  such  a  request  is  usually 
shown  scant  courtesy.  A  civic  association,  law 
enforcement  league  or  similar  association  may 
repeat  the  request.  The  chief  may  then  pay 
attention  and  the  saloons  may  be  closed  for  a 
time.  Suppose  after  the  city  official  has  had 
an  opportunity  to  act,  and  has  failed,  a  copy  of 
a  letter  sent  to  the  chief  demanding  enforce- 
ment of  law,  be  sent  also  to  the  papers.  A 
front  page  story  will  result  in  most  cities,  and 
facts  can  be  put  into  the  letter  which  papers 
would  be  forced  to  edit  out  of  a  zealous 
reporter's  copy. 

The  plan  mentioned  above  actually  was  put 
into  operation  in  a  large  western  city  and  for 
three  years  city  officials  and  deeply  intrenched 
saloon  interests  were  kept  in  a  state  of  con- 
stant defense  against  law  and  order  friends. 
They  didn  't  know  when  something  would  break 
out  which  would  damage  them  politically.  One 
alderman  who  was  involved  in  Sunday  liquor 
selling  lost  his  hold  on  the  ward  within  two 
years  and  died  soon  afterwards  in  an  insane 
hospital.  The  chief  of  police  was  forced  to 
resign,  the  saloon  interests  confessed  that  they 
had  lost  a  large  amount  of  money  and  had  been 
prevented  from  extending  their  business. 
Among  other  good  results  a  large  number  of 
young  men  were  trained  in  civic  affairs  and 
[161] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGEESS 

several  of  them  became  active  politicians  and 
helped  clean  up  the  city  council  and  state  legis- 
lature. The  total  results  can  never  be  known, 
as  indeed  is  true  in  regard  to  any  similar 
campaign. 

This  entire  publicity  campaign  had  its  incep- 
tion in  the  mind  of  a  reporter  for  a  paper  who 
had  been  accustomed  to  seeing  the  laws  obeyed 
and  believed  that  in  constant  open  defiance  of 
law  lay  the  seeds  of  anarchy.  The  saloons  were 
open  after  hours,  as  he  and  the  policemen  knew, 
but  he  couldn't  get  the  fact  into  his  paper 
without  some  news  to  hang  it  on.  He  caused 
to  be  introduced  at  a  meeting  of  young  people 
a  resolution  asking  the  mayor  to  close  the 
saloons.  That  action  of  a  mass  meeting  was 
news,  and  the  papers  were  eager  for  it  as  well 
as  being  willing  to  publish  the  fact  back  of  the 
resolution.  Another  similar  organization  took 
action,  individuals  who  had  been  working 
quietly  along  the  same  line  joined  forces  and  a 
Law  Enforcement  League  was  organized.  Each 
of  these  steps  meant  additional  publicity  for 
law  and  order.  Evidence  was  collected  against 
saloons  that  sold  to  minors  and  after  hours. 
Members  of  the  organization  rapped  on  side 
doors  of  saloons  and  drank  illicit  beer  on  Sun- 
day afternoons.  The  league's  officers  were 
threatened  with  bodily  injury  and  the  brewers 
tried  to  have  some  of  the  active  members  dis- 
[162] 


RIGHTEOUSNESS      VIA    .PRINTER'S      INK 


charged  from  their  places  of  employment.  The 
weekly  meetings  at  which  these  facts  were  an- 
nounced gave  plenty  of  continuous  copy  for  the 
papers  so  that  the  matter  was  kept  before  the 
people. 

The  attorney  general  and  the  governor  of  the 
state  were  involved  in  an  effort  to  have  the 
city  officials  removed  from  office  for  failure  to 
enforce  the  law.  These  negotiations  were  given 
publicity  at  the  proper  time.  Few  attempts 
were  made  to  have  violators  arrested.  The 
league  was  trying  to  arouse  public  opinion  to 
demand  law  enforcement  of  the  police.  Evi- 
dence before  grand  juries  of  bottles  of  whiskey 
bought  on  Sundays  failed  to  bring  an  indict- 
ment, but  got  publicity.  A  letter  in  the  papers 
by  one  of  the  reformers  was  construed  as  con- 
tempt of  court,  and  again  the  papers  were  open 
and  much  argument  for  law  enforcement  was 
put  before  the  people. 

At  intervals  during  this  time  the  space  in 
papers  which  was  devoted  to  letters  to  the 
editors  was  full  of  communications  concerning 
law  enforcement.  The  W.  C.  T.  U.  came  to  the 
front  with  letters  flaying  the  liquor  interests. 
A  group  of  young  men  agreed  to  write  a  letter 
a  day  to  one  paper  opposing  a  liquor  license 
pending  before  the  council,  in  an  effort  to  bring 
public  opinion  to  bear  on  the  license  committee. 

Not  all  people  who  desire  the  same  result  are 
[163] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

agreed  on  the  advisability  of  attempting  to  ob- 
tain law  enforcement  through  a  publicity  cam- 
paign of  this  sort.  Many  would  go  at  it  quietly 
and  leave  the  papers  out  of  account.  The  latter 
method,  however,  wastes  a  large  opportunity 
to  reach  people  who  perhaps  seldom  think  about 
civic  conditions  as  they  are  and  should  be.  In 
this  particular  campaign,  in  addition  to  the 
spread  of  moral  ideas  and  a  quickening  of  the 
conscience  of  the  people,  the  saloons  were  closed 
on  Sunday  for  a  long  time.  The  thought  of 
Christian  people  was  centered  on -the  local  tem- 
perance problem.  Much  of  the  time  the  actual 
work  was  carried  on  by  three  young  men,  none 
of  whom  alone  could  have  done  a  great  deal 
toward  achieving  the  results  possible  for  them 
as  representatives  of  an  organization. 

Much  more  direct  action  can  be  obtained  by 
use  of  paid  advertisements  in  a  civic  right- 
eousness campaign  than  can  be  done  by  news 
stories,  although  both  methods  have  educational 
effects.  Paid  advertisements  can  accomplish 
more  definite  results  because  definite  commands 
can  be  put  in  the  bought  space.  The  talk  can 
be  direct  and  to  the  point.  This  method  has 
produced  results  in  many  places,  as  the  plan 
has  spread  rapidly  following  the  use  of  it  in 
Atlanta,  Ga. 

The  Men  and  Religion  Committee  of  that  city, 
backed  by  a  small  group  of  men  spent  in  1913 
[164] 


MEN  AND  RELIGION  BULLETIN  No.  10 
"The  Houses  in  Our  Midst" 


SUNDAY  IN  THE  SEWER 


In  the  next  block  to  Atlanta's  Police  Headquarters  is  a  bouse. 

Within  is  a  ball  room. 

In  it,  near  a  slot  piano,  lies  a  man  with  a  bullet  through  his  lungs. 

By  him  is  the  pistol. 

Crumpled  at  the  other  end  of  the  room  is  one  created  for  motherhood,  the  day  of 
dolls  forgotten,  the  hope  of  children  gone,  with  life  dipping  away  through  wounds  in 
her  forehead,  cheek  and  breast. 

About  are  gaping  women. 

The  time  is  last  Sunday  afternoon;  the  place  a  part  of  our  so-called  sewer. 

Disinfectants  a  thousand-fold  stronger  than  carbolic  acid  are  powerless  here. 

Waste  them  not,  even  after  wash  basins,  sinks  and  yards  have  been  disinfected! 

None  may  hope  to  cleanse  Atlanta  while  the  drains,  instead  of  carrying  off  their 
frightful  burden,  are  forcing  it  back  into  the  city's  heart  and  homes  I 

Victor  Hugo  said  that  Paris  lost  Over  twenty-five  .millions  of  francs  annually  by 
her  sewere  of  concrete  and  Atone. 

You  may  estimate  the  cost  of  ours— built  of  the  flesh  and  blood  of  women,  which 
every  five  to  seven  years  must  be  replaced'  with  new  material 

As  happened  Sunday,  occasionally  one  may  not  endure'  so  long,  but  sinks  weltering 
with  others  in  the  hideous  mire  beneath  the  stream. 

Physicians  declare  the  system  deadly  and  unnecessary. 

Scientists  say  that  from  it  come  bacteria,  blinding  and  blighting  babied,  maiming 
and  killing  wives. 

Sociologists  pronounce  it  the  greatest  source  of  social  impurity. 

The  law  forbids  ;t  as  a  menace  to  morals  and  tealth. 

This  man  'and  woman,  so  lately  killed  in  it,  wpuld  be.  alive-  today  had  the  law  been 
enforced  by  city  officers. 

Those  in  authority  should  not  wait  until  our  city  is  overrun  with  sewer  rats,  tnen 
like  those  now  making  New  York  a  byword,  before  remembering  their  oaths  of  office 
and  the  ordinances  of  Atlanta. 

They  should  and  will  close  the  Houses  in  our  Midst  1 

THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

Of  the  Men  and  Religion  Forward  Movement 

Twenty  ads  similar  to  this  were  used  in  Atlanta  papers  in  paid  space. 


KIGHTEOUSNESS     VIA    -PKINTEn's      INK 


$9,000  for  newspaper  advertising,  and  much  of 
it  was  used  in  the  successful  attempt  to  drive 
houses  of  prostitution  from  the  city.  The  com- 
mittee, in  whose  names  all  the  ads  were  signed, 
contracted  for  large  advertising  space  in  the 
three  daily  papers,  at  usual  rates,  and  used 
two  or  three  columns  to  a  full  page  at  a  time. 
The  space  was  theirs,  and  none  of  their  writing 
was  subject  to  the  censorship  which  would  have 
existed  had  they  asked  editors  to  run  the  same 
matter  in  the  news  columns.  Still,  one  paper 
tried  to  break  its  contract  when  it  discovered  the 
nature  of  the  attacks  being  made.  The  ads 
usually  closed  with  the  sentence,  "Atlanta  can 
and  will  close  the  houses  in  our  midst. "  This 
finally  got  under  the  skin  of  the  chief  of  police 
who  promised  that  he  would  clean  up  the  town. 
The  advertisements  then  were  directed  towards 
the  saving  of  the  girls,  and  in  response  to  prof- 
fers 200  women  accepted  the  hospitality  of  the 
committee,  and  a  reformed  keeper  of  a  house 
became  the  matron  of  the  rescue  home.  The 
contract  labor  system  of  Georgia  and  other 
evils  were  later  exposed  and  their  cure  driven 
home  on  the  people  of  the  state.  A  capitalist 
who  had  been  touched  by  the  Men  and  Religion 
Movement  provided  most  of  the  funds  for  the 
advertisements.  Surely  a  worth  while  invest- 
ment!* Other  southern  cities,  including  Ashe- 

*W.  T.  Ellis,  The  Continent,  April  3,  1913. 
[167] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 

ville,  N.  C.,  Athens,  Ga.,  Little  Kock,  Ark.,  and 
Birmingham,  Ala.,  imitated  Atlanta  in  paid 
campaigns. 

"200  fathers  wanted — to  teach  their  sons  to 
drink  beer  and  whiskey  the  coming  year"  was 


Liquor  Licenses  Will  Be  Granted 

in  Montclair  whether  you  approve  or  disapprove  The 
business  must  be  made  a  howling  success.  There  should 
be  no  business  failures  in  this  town.  The]  old  soaks  are 
dying  off. 

Wanted— 1OO  Young  Men 

to  learn  to  drink  whiskey  and  beer  this  year.  Every 
patriotic  resident  should  be  ready  to  contribute  one  boy. 
If  you  are  ready  to  assist  tell  the  Mayor  and  Town  Coun- 
cil how  glad  you  are  to  help  support  the  cause. 


Eleven  such  ads  in  a  New  Jersey  paper  cost  a  temperance  advocate  $16.60. 

the  heading  of  an  advertisement  which  startled 
the  residents  of  Montclair,  N.  J.,  in  June,  1913. 
It  purported  to  have  been  written  by  the  saloon 
keepers  of  the  place,  who  were  asking  for  a 
renewal  of  their  licenses.  It  was  one  of  a  series 
of  similar  stimulators  which  awakened  the 
church  people  to  the  extent  of  calling  a  mass 
meeting  to  appoint  representatives  to  protest 
against  the  licensing  of  saloons  by  the  council. 
The  aldermen  were  evenly  divided  and  the 
[168] 


EIGHT  EOUSNESS     VIA     PKINTEft's     INK 

mayor  cast  his  lot  with  the  saloons,  yet  the 
people  were  shown  how  to  awaken  interest 
against  saloons.  The  campaign  involved 
eleven  ads,  the  total  cost  in  the  local  weekly 
paper  being  but  $16.60.  They  were  written  by 


Wanted — Raw  Material 

If  liquor  licnses  are  granted  this  year  in  Montclair 
(and  there  is  every  assurance  they  will  be)  a  new  supply 
of  raw  material  must  be  furnished  by  our  residents  in  the 
shape  cf  boys,  young  men  just  from  school,  young  busi- 
ness men.  If  200  can  be  depended  on  to  start  drinking 
beer  and  whiskey,  it  can  be  made  a  howling  success.  If 
you  will  assist, 

Tell  the  Mayor 


Perhaps  this  ad  would  do  good  if  published  in  any  "wet"  town  where  the  mayor 
grants  licenses. 

an  individual  who  took  that  way  of  fighting  the 
saloons. 

A  lone  minister  near  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  by 
a  year's  campaign  against  the  saloons  helped 
largely  in  driving  them  from  several  small  vil- 
lages. He  sent  monthly  letters  concerning  the 
evil  effects  of  alcohol  to  every  voter.  Every 
effort  was  also  made  to  get  out  the  vote  at  the 
election. 

One  of  the  most  comprehensive  local  cam- 
paigns against  the  saloons  ever  outlined  by  the 
[169] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

combined  foes  of  liquor  was  that  projected  in 
October,  1914,  in  South  Bend  and  Mishawaka, 
Ind.  Every  tested  medium  of  advertising  was 
used  by  the  committee.  Articles  of  scientific 
temperance  facts  were  used  in  local  dailies  with 
an  effective  cartoon.  These  were  translated 
and  printed  in  Polish  and  Hungarian  papers 


Fighting  the  saloon  in  Indiana  by  bill  boards. 

in  order  to  reach  factory  workers.  Inserts  in 
pay  envelopes  also  called  attention  to  ineffi- 
ciency caused  by  drinking.  Posters  with  care- 
fully worked  out  facts  concerning  the  relation 
of  the  saloons  to  taxes  were  used  liberally  on 
[170] 


RIGHTEOUSNESS     VIA     PRINTER^     INK 


boards  erected  by  the  committee.  Lectures  and 
mass  meetings  were  also  employed.  It  was 
planned  to  spend  $5,000  in  a  six  months'  cam- 
paign of  publicity. 

Women  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  the  fall  of  1913 
used  large  sign  boards  pillorying  the  names  of 
the  aldermen  who  voted  in  favor  of  vice  in 
their  city.  The  attention  of  the  mothers  of 
Hartford  was  called  to  their  names  and  the 
women  warned  to  prevent  their  return  to  office. 

Suggestions  may  be  found  in  campaigns  of 
a  slightly  different  sort  in  which  efforts  were 
made  to  urge  people  of  a  whole  state  to  action. 
One  of  the  first  of  a  number  of  campaigns  in 
Nebraska  to  get  farmers  to  test  their  seed  corn 
was  started  by  the  Omaha  Commercial  Club. 
The  farmers  faced  a  severe  loss  in  their  prin- 
cipal crop  on  account  of  imperfect  seed. 
Articles  were  sent  to  local  papers  throughout 
the  state  containing  simple  directions  as  to  the 
best  way  to  test  the  corn.  Letters  were  sent  to 
prominent  farmers  by  the  state  agricultural 
authorities,  and  demonstrations  of  the  way  to 
test  corn  were  made  throughout  the  state. 

The  state  Board  of  Health  of  Minnesota 
several  years  ago  pushed  the  war  against  house 
flies  in  an  effective  manner.  Cartoons  of  flies 
being  killed,  or  of  others  traveling  from  their- 
breeding  places  to  the  dining  room  and  baby's 
crib  were  reproduced  in  hundreds  of  local 
[171] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGKESS 

papers  in  the  state.  The  expense  of  this  cam- 
paign was  only  fifteen  cents  a  paper  an  inser- 
tion. This  covered  the  cost  of  making  the  plate, 
mailing  and  overhead  expense.  Stereotypes 
were  made  from  a  zinc  etching  and  sent  to 
country  papers,  all  of  which  had  the  special 
iron  base  used  by  the  Western  Newspaper 
Union  to  back  up  the  plate  matter  which  this 
concern  sells  to  hundreds  of  papers.  Mailing 
expense  was  cut  down  by  slipping  the  cut,  single 
column,  three  inches  long,  into  the  weekly 
shipment  of  plate  matter  sent  by  the  concern  to 
the  papers.  The  papers  which  did  not  get 
weekly  shipments  received  their  cut  by  mail. 
Editors  previously  had  agreed  that  they  would 
use  the  matter.  As  part  of  the  same  campaign 
editors  were  sent  weekly  "health  talks, "  which 
the  editors  set  in  their  own  shops.  These  were 
about  200  words  on  public  health  questions,  need 
of  pure  water  supply,  fresh  air  on  the  farm, 
care  of  children's  teeth  and  similar  subjects 
which  had  a  local  interest  in  each  town.  This  is 
an  adaptation  of  the  plan  in  Chapter  VIII  for 
preliminary  work  for  conventions. 

Libraries,  school  boards,  city  boards  of  health, 
municipal  baths  and  similar  city  owned  insti- 
tutions can  do  much  for  the  uplift  of  the  com- 
munity by  urging  larger  use  of  the  facilities  they 
offer.  A  library  does  not  reach  its  largest  use- 
fulness until  its  reference  room  is  filled  most  of 
[172] 


RIGHTEOUSNESS     VIA     PRINTER^     INK 


the  time,  and  its  volumes  are  kept  circulating 
rapidly.  A  library  should  assist  in  carrying 
thought  to  the  minds  of  the  people ;  not  keep  it 
embalmed.  If  the  taxpayers  in  some  towns 
would  now  object  to  the  use  of  a  small  portion 
of  the  library  funds  to  make  books  more  widely 
known  the  time  is  coming  when  such  expenditure 
will  be  approved  and  encouraged.  There  is 
little  use  for  Ourtown  library  to  have  the  latest 
books  on  Mexico,  backyard  gardening  and  care 
of  the  health  unless  the  largest  possible  number 
of  persons  reads  the  volumes.  It  ought  to  be 
a  proper  function  of  the  library  to  let  the  gen- 
eral public  know  something  of  the  books  to  be 
found  on  the  shelves,  and  to  stimulate  the  read- 
ing of  them. 

Librarians  in  many  small  towns  cooperate 
with  the  newspapers  in  encouraging  reading  by 
compiling  lists  of  new  books  received,  and  ar- 
ranging bibliographies  on  subjects  in  which  the 
people  are  for  the  moment  most  interested. 
These  lists  are  gladly  published  by  many  papers 
as  news.  Publication  of  these  lists  is,  however, 
not  enough  to  interest  persons  who  seldom  or 
never  go  to  a  library.  The  direct  command  of 
the  display  advertisement  can  be  used  in  this 
connection  to  good  advantage.  Facts  must  be 
stated  to  move  men  to  use  the  library,  which  by 
no  stretch  of  the  interpretation  of  news,  could 
be  placed  under  that  head  by  a  friendly  editor. 
[173]  " 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGKESS 

In  this  advertising  the  same  sort  of  argu- 
ments may  be  used  to  induce  larger  use  of 
library  facilities  as  are  used  by  correspondence 
schools  in  urging  the  need  of  home  study.  Every 
library  has  scores  of  books  which  if  read  would 
help  some  man  or  woman  to  be  more  efficient. 
The  larger  libraries  have  books  for  a  full  edu- 
cation in  almost  any  subject.  Ought  it  not  be 
part  of  the  duty  of  a  modern  municipality  to 
tell  citizens  how  they  may  make  themselves  more 
efficient?  Disease  can  be  prevented  and  civic 
morality  promoted  by  the  reading  of  books. 
The  same  motives  which  induce  the  founding 
of  free  schools  ought  to  persuade  city  officials 
that  the  higher  education  possible  through  the 
library  should  be  made  widely  known.  This 
work  ought  to  be  possible  without  city  officials 
quailing  before  charges  of  paternalism ! 

Eestaurant  keepers  know  that  by  announcing 
slow  selling  articles  in  red  ink  at  the  top  of 
their  menu  card  the  "stickers"  find  a  more 
ready  sale.  Libraries  might  with  profit  use  the 
same  principle  in  turning  the  attention  of  the 
public  from  fiction  to  something  more  nourish- 
ing. Suggestive  questions  testing  the  knowledge 
of  persons  along  various  lines  could  be  used  in 
ads,  just  as  has  been  done  by  companies  issuing 
dictionaries  and  encyclopedias.  The  municipal 
zoo  of  Cincinnati  has  used  this  plan  to  stimulate 
attendance.  Park  commissioners  in  many  cities 
[174] 


RIGHTEOUSNESS     VIA     PRINTER  *S      INK 


use  street  car  cards  to  urge  attendance  at  band 
concerts  in  parks  and,  incidentally,  the  quality 
of  the  good  things  to  be  found  at  the  refectories 
whence  come  funds  to  support  the  park. 

In  a  similar  manner  the  advantages  of  attend- 
ance at  night  schools  could  be  urged  upon  those 
who  ought  to  have  more  education.  The  same 
sort  of  work  which  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  doing 
among  foreigners  in  advertising  English  classes 
could  be  done  by  a  city  which  opens  its  school 
buildings  for  night  study.  A  little  stimulation 
would  go  far  toward  making  these  centers  of 
learning  for  older  persons  much  more  useful. 
The  future  will  undoubtedly  see  this  develop- 
ment of  municipal  helpfulness.  City  boards  of 
health  can  gain  the  cooperation  of  householders 
and  win  more  ready  compliance  with  orders  if 
a  little  advertising  were  used  to  make  the  public 
more  familiar  with  the  reason  for  the  commands. 

In  New  York  City  all  kinds  of  advertising 
have  been  used  with  great  success  in  enlarging 
the  patronage  of  public  baths  on  the  East  Side. 


[175] 


CHAPTER  X 

MAKING  PUBLICITY  PRODUCE 
CASH  RETURNS 


Non-commercial  institutions  must  interest  friends — News 
stories  help  "whirlwind  campaigns" — Advertising  for 
$10,000,000 — Getting  annual  contributions— Human  inter- 
est stories  useful — Reports  should  be  frequent  and  easily 
grasped — European  war  presented  opportunities  for  many 
successful  ad  campaigns. 


CHAPTER  X 

MAKING  PUBLICITY  PRODUCE   CASH   RETURNS 

THE  object  of  all  commercial  publicity  is 
to  persuade  someone  to  exchange  his 
money  for  what  the  advertiser  has  for 
sale,  be  it  soda  crackers,  pianos,  or  a  course  in 
home  instruction.  People  are  not  prone  to  give 
their  money  for  nothing.  Even  when  they  buy 
mining  stock  for  10  cents  a  share  they  think 
they  are  getting  something  of  value.  So  in  all 
advertising  for  non-commercial  enterprises,  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  one  who  pays  the 
money  must  get  something  for  it.  The  best 
thing  about  selling  a  share  in  a  college,  a  foreign 
mission  plant,  or  a  milk  station  in  the  congested 
regions  of  a  city  is  that  such  objects  furnish  so 
many  points  of  contact  with  the  man  who  has 
the  pocketbook. 

"Interest"  is  what  non-commercial  institu- 
tions must  sell  the  "prospect"  before  he  will 
give  money  for  their  support.  From  the  Bible 
itself  comes  one  of  the  best  advertising  maxims 
ever  stated:  "For  where  thy  treasure  is,  there 
will  thy  heart  be  also."  Transfer  "his"  heart 
to  your  proposition  and  his  money  will  come. 
It  has  been  proved  hundreds  of  times.  Any- 
[179] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGEESS 

thing  that  gets  a  man's  interest  will  get  his 
cash  sooner  or  later. 

A  man  takes  more  interest  in  helping  build  a 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  if  he  knows  that  hundreds 
of  his  fellow  citizens  are  aiding  in  the  same 
enterprise,  and  he  will  give  at  once  when  he  sees 
that  others  are  paying  on  the  spot.  Hence  the 
great  success  of  campaigns  for  buildings  for 
Christian  associations,  and  of  college  endowment 
campaigns,  hundreds  of  which  have  been  car- 
ried to  success  in  the  last  few  years.  The 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  adopted  many  of  the  plans  of 
commercial  successes,  and  other  non-commercial 
organizations  can  with  profit  study  many  of 
their  methods  of  reaching  men. 

Both  interest  and  enthusiasm  for  a  cause 
must  be  aroused  if  persons  are  to  give  their 
money  to  it.  The  intensity  of  that  enthusiasm 
depends  on  how  soon  the  managers  want  to 
raise  the  money.  When  a  metropolis  under- 
takes to  raise  $4,000,000  in  two  weeks,  every 
known  publicity  device  is  used  to  generate 
interest.  The  quick  campaigns  arouse  enthu- 
siasm by  the  very  shortness  of  the  time  in  which 
the  money  is  to  be  raised.  Of  publicity  by 
institutions  which  require  annual  contributions 
mention  will  be  made  later. 

This  is  not  the  place  for  a  full  exposition  of 
the  ways  in  which  money  raising  campaigns  are 
managed,  although  the  publicity  end  of  such 
[180] 


MAKING    PUBLICITY    PKODUCE    KETUKNS 

campaigns  is  one  of  the  main  features.  Very 
few  institutions  in  any  city  can  raise  a  con- 
siderable sum  of  money  in  a  short  time  without 
appealing  to  the  printing  press,  and  especially 
the  daily  newspaper,  for  assistance.  To  get 
people  talking  about  a  campaign,  facts  about  it 
must  be  given  fully  and  frequently.  They  must 
know  today  what  was  done  yesterday  and  how 
nearly  the  goal  has  been  approached.  "Whirl- 
wind" campaigns,  whether  for  money  or  for 
members  of  an  organization,  are  managed  on 
much  the  same  lines.  The  ground  work  of  card 
indices  of  prospects  and  teams  of  workers,  and 
banners,  and  tags,  and  clocks  to  mark  progress, 
are  prepared  before  the  beginning  of  the  cam- 
paign. The  opening  meeting  is  usually  made 
notable  by  an  address  by  a  prominent  person 
from  out  of  the  city.  This  makes  a  news  story 
in  itself.  The  fact  that  a  large  number  of  per- 
sons are  involved  in  a  campaign  gives  the 
papers  ground  for  devoting  large  space  to  the 
movement;  conversely,  to  get  big  space,  the 
largest  possible  number  of  persons  must  be 
interested.  Friendly  rivalry  between  teams,  and 
daily  meetings,  with  reports  by  the  captains,  add 
to  the  interest  and  provide  more  news  articles. 
If  a  reporter  can  be  persuaded  to  join  one  of 
the  teams  he  will  find  scores  of  human  interest 
stories  in  the  actual  experiences  of  soliciting 
which  will  make  better  copy  than  second  hand 
[181] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

accounts  by  other  members  of  the  teams.  Work- 
ing members  of  the  staff  of  each  paper  must  be 
given  tickets  to  all  dinners  and  invited  to  par- 
ticipate freely  in  the  meetings.  Figures  and 
lists  of  names  must  be  furnished  and,  if  possible, 
the  wants  of  reporters  anticipated. 

In  any  campaign  of  this  sort,  printed  matter 
must  be  used  freely  but  wisely.  Paid  display 
ads  in  the  local  papers  will  help  much  if  the 
finances  permit;  street  car  cards,  signs  on  the 
fenders  of  street  cars,  and  window  cards  in  the 
shops  along  the  principal  streets  assist.  All 
of  the  printed  matter  should  emphasize  the 
slogan  or  catch  word  of  the  campaign.  The 
Scranton  Y.  M.  C.  A.  had  the  figures  170,000 
displayed  in  all  printed  matter,  even  using  them 
as  its  telephone  number  during  the  successful 
effort  to  raise  that  many  dollars  for  a  new 
building.  "I  Believe  in  St.  Paul"  was  used  in 
a  campaign  for  members  of  the  St.  Paul  Asso- 
ciation of  Commerce.  "Are  you  a  Member!" 
"Joined  Yet?"  or  similar  phrase  may  be  used 
in  a  membership  campaign  of  any  sort.  This 
should  be  on  the  pennants,  and  badges,  as  well 
as  on  printed  matter.  Seeing  it  everywhere  in 
the  city  will  recall  the  campaign  and  add  to 
the  impetus. 

Obviously  such  a  campaign  of  condensed  en- 
thusiasm is  unfitted  to  an  effort  to  raise 
$10,000,000  to  support  aged  ministers,  or  to 
[182] 


What  better  way  of  livinj 
up  to  the  full  meaning 
Christmas  Time 

Buy  your  share 

of  Red  Cross  Seals 


That's  the  r|ght  Christinas  spirit 


Helping  to  sell  Christmas  joy  to  readers  of  national  magazines. 


MAKING    PUBLICITY    PRODUCE    RETURNS 

obtain  $500,000  for  a  college  in  South  Dakota. 
The  field  in  both  these  cases  is  broader.  The 
factor  of  enthusiasm  and  simultaneous  giving, 
so  large  an  element  in  a  city  campaign,  can  be 
adopted  only  in  part  in  places  where  it  is  de- 
sired to  raise  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
total  sum;  as  in  the  home  town  of  the  college. 
In  these  two  cases,  as  well  as  with  a  host  of 
local  non-commercial  institutions  like  anti- 
tuberculosis  associations,  day  nurseries,  asso- 
ciated charities,  and  other  semi-public  move- 
ments, the  factor  of  interest  is  larger  than  that 
of  enthusiasm.  When  an  institution  such  as 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  moved  so  far  along  as  to 
need  a  building  for  which  city  wide  solicitation 
of  funds  is  required,  the  givers  know  more  or 
less  of  the  work.  The  thing  to  be  accomplished 
is  a  clinching  of  that  information  and  interest 
in  a  subscription.  In  most  of  the  other  proj- 
ects the  knowledge  is  not  so  general,  and 
interest  not  so  great.  In  fact  in  many  cases 
there  is  a  deal  of  indifference  which  must  be 
overcome  before  positive  interest  can  be 
obtained. 

If  a  religious  denomination  wishes  to  obtain 
a  large  fund  with  which  to  pension  its  servants, 
the  obvious  thing  is  to  tell  about  it  in  the  papers 
which  reach  the  people  who  are  expected  to 
give  the  money.  This  the  Board  of  Minis- 
terial Relief  and  Sustentation  of  the  Presby- 
[185] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

terian  Church,  U.  S.  A.,  has  done,  carrying  a 
paid  ad  in  a  number  of  religious  papers,  chang- 
ing copy  once  a  wee'k.  The  plan  of  this  cam- 


Give  the  Boy  a  Chance 

The  widow  of  a  Presbyterian  minister, 
who  receives  a  meager  annuity  from  the 
Board  of  Relief  and  Sustentation,  and  who 
largely  supports  herself  and  her  children  by 
her  needle,  recently  wrote, to  the  Board  in  substance: 

"I  am  so  grateful  for  my  semi-annual  check  which  has 
just  come.  You,  who  have,  do  not  realize  what  this 
means  to  me.  My  work  has  been  very  slack  of  late,  as 
people  can  put  off  their  sewing;  and  then,  I  have  been 
sick  in  bed  for  a  week.  Our  coal  pile  has  dwindled 
away  until  there  was  just  one  day's  supply  more— when 
your  check  came !  Do  not  think  that  I  am  complaining, 
because  I  am  trying  to  be  so  brave  for  my  boys'  sake. 
My  youngest  boy  is  so  ambitious  and  wants  to  have  an 
education.  //  nearly  breaks  my  heart  not  to  be  able  to 
provide  hita  clothes  like  the  other  boys  wear.  Still,  he 
is  courageous  and  he  is  going  to  try  to  get  a  position  in 

this  Summer,  so  that  he  can  go  to  school  in  the 

Fall.     God  bless  the  Church  for  what  it  is  doing  for 
me  and  my  boys!" 

The  board  was  able  to  give  last  year  an  average  of  $3.37  a 
week  to  the  686  widows  upon  its  roll. 

Give  the  ambitious  boy  of  the  sainted  father  a  chance,  by  pro- 
viding generously  for  his  faithful  mother  during  these  desolate 
days  of  widowhood. 

Ministerial  Relief  and  Sustentation 

Of  the  Pre.by teri.n  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A 

WILLIAM  HRAM  FOULKES,  General  Secretary 
W.W.HEBEtTOH.Tr*-.  JOHN  R.  SUTHERLAND.  A~ckte  $«*** 

WILLIAM  STLVESTER  HOLT.  Aoadat.  S« 
607  Wlthenpoon  Building  •         Philadelphia  P.. 


One  of  a  series  of  ads  by  the  help  of  which  it  is  hoped  to  raise  $10,000,000  endow- 
ment fund.  One  of  the  first  boards  of  any  church  to  reach  church  members  by 
paid  advertising  in  religious  papers.  (Note  seal  used  as  trade  mark;  white  space 
abundant.) 

[186] 


MAKING    PUBLICITY    PRODUCE    RETURNS 

paign  is  merely  to  enlist  the  interest  of  readers. 
Agents  then  concentrate  this  interest  by  visits 
to  individual  churches.  In  the  same  way  many 
colleges  which  advertise  for  funds  avoid  any 
direct  appeal.  They  present  the  most  interest- 
ing facts  possible  and  let  it  go  at  that.  College 
advertising  both  for  funds  and  for  students  is 
treated  directly  in  Chapter  XI. 

A  common  problem  is  that  of  arousing  the 
interest  of  a  city  in  an  institution  which  needs 
not  a  building  to  last  for  two  generations,  but 
contributions,  to  be  renewed  annually.  On  such 
an  institution  the  necessity  of  keeping  itself 
before  its  supporters  or  possible  supporters  is 
pressing.  Even  those  who  give  most,  lose  in- 
terest unless  they  can  see  something  of  what 
their  money  is  doing.  A  man  immersed  in 
business,  who  rides  home  in  an  automobile  and 
spends  all  day  Saturday  on  the  golf  links,  needs 
something  more  than  a  printed  request  to  renew 
his  subscription  to  the  anti-tuberculosis  work 
or  to  arouse  him  to  give  as  much  as  he  can 
afford.  If  that  man  can  be  told  in  some  way 
how  Mrs.  Sallie  Jones  and  her  three  small 
children  were  saved  from  the  tubercular  fate 
of  her  husband  and  how  she  was  helped  to  a 
healthful  position  where  her  family  could  re- 
main with  her,  he  will  think  more  of  the  work. 
He  should  be  shown  by  a  chart  just  where  every 
dollar  that  he  gave  last  year  was  used.  An 
[187] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PEOGKESS 

appeal  to  his  business  sense  as  to  the  size  of  the 
dividends  from  his  subscription,  together  with 
a  tactful  suggestion  of  what  could  be  accom- 
plished with  a  certain  definite  sum,  ought  to 
cause  his  pocketbook  to  open  wider. 

Such  a  man  can  be  reached  through  the  paper 
he  reads  every  day,  through  announcements  on 
his  club  bulletin  board,  talks  before  his  church, 
personal  conversation  and  printed  matter  mailed 
to  him.  These  and  other  methods  may  all  be 
used.  If  the  information  reaches  him  from 
what  seems  to  be  an  unbiased  source  he  may  be 
most  impressed.  This  points  to  the  daily  news- 
paper, and  the  wealth  of  human  interest  mate- 
rial involved  in  the  work  of  all  the  organizations 
under  consideration  indicate  that  this  is  a 
promising  field.  The  material  is,  however, 
usually  of  such  a  nature  as  to  make  it  advisable 
that  consultation  be  had  with  editors  and  re- 
porters rather  than  that  matter  be  prepared  for 
them,  although  in  some  cases  this  may  be  the 
best  way. 

The  use  of  pictures  is  always  effective.  A 
cartoon  such  as  the  accompanying  one  from  a 
Chicago  paper  undoubtedly  does  much  to  help 
mothers  to  the  country.  See  too  the  picture  of 
Tenement  Tommy.  Newspapers  are  usually 
very  ready  to  lend  their  columns  to  publicity 
for  such  charities,  as  they  recognize  the  uni- 
versal human  appeal.  Many  editors  are  ready 
[188] 


MAKING    PUBLICITY    PRODUCE    RETURNS 

to  do  all  they  can  to  help  such  causes  provided 
they  are  given  material. 

Some  of  the  best  of  news  stories  about  the 


WILL  YOU  SEND  A  KEY  TO  UNLOCK   SUCH  A  DOOR? 

<Sencl  yom  check  to  Dai  kl  R   Forsan.   Treasurer.    W>8    North    Michigan  Avenue.) 

Cartoons  are  effective  in  presenting  appeals. 

need,  perhaps  a  human  interest  sketch  of  how 
Mrs.  Jones  was  helped  in  the  country,  may  be 

[189] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

used  as  a  little  booklet  to  be  mailed  to  sub- 
scribers to  the  charity  affected.  Because  a  man 
subscribes  this  year  is  no  reason  for  his  doing 
so  next  year.  He  is  entitled  to  a  report  of 
what  his  money  has  done,  and  ought  to  get 
something  more  interesting  than  a  mere  printed 
financial  summary.  He  will  give  more  if  a 
little  time  is  spent  in  analyzing  the  statement 
for  him  so  he  can  see  per  capita  or  other  de- 
tailed costs  at  a  glance.  He  may  figure  these 
for  himself,  but,  if  at  all,  often  at  the  cost  of  a 
gift  to  the  charity  which  has  not  reported  with 
sufficient  detail  to  touch  him. 

The  itinerant  peddler  sells  a  kettle  and  moves 
on.  The  merchandising  concern  which  expects 
to  build  up  a  large  business  for  many  years 
does  not  regard  a  transaction  completed  until 
the  customer  is  satisfied.  The  dairyman  does 
not  leave  a  quart  of  milk  today  and  wait  for 
you  to  look  him  up  tomorrow.  A  non-commer- 
cial institution  which  has  obtained  the  interest 
of  a  man  with  sufficient  definiteness  to  get  a 
subscription,  whether  to  the  Visiting  Nurses' 
association,  for  a  college  scholarship  or  to  sup- 
port a  rescue  mission,  owes  an  adequate  report 
of  what  was  done  with  the  money  in  terms  of 
lives.  For  the  future  growth  of  the  institution 
the  givers  should  be  furnished  with  frequent 
interesting  information  concerning  its  progress. 
Many  men  will  be  more  concerned  in  the  fact 
[190] 


MAKING    PUBLICITY    PRODUCE    RETURNS 

that  a  young  Eussian  anxious  for  a  college 
education  has  established  himself  as  the  college 
cobbler  to  pay  expenses,  than  they  will  in  a 
statement  that  $15,000  is  needed  to  complete 

FREE 

Christmas  Dinners 

FOR 

3OO,OOO 

Poor  People 

will  be  supplied  by 

The  Salvation  Army 

Throughout  the 
United  States 

Will  you  help  by  sending  a 

donation,  no  matter  how 

small,  to 

Commander  MlSS  Booth          Grandma  Gets  t5ne 

118  W.  14th  St.,  New  York  City 

West'n  Dept.,  Comm.  Estill,  108  N.  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago 

A  far  cry  from  this  ad  in  Everybody's  Magazine  to  the  Christmas  pot  on  the 
street  corner — typical  of  the  growth  of  advertising  by  non-commercial  organ- 
izations. 

the  fund  for  the  new  library.  The  money. for 
the  library  will  come  easily  if  they  are  kept  in- 
terested in  the  self  help  activities  of  manhood 
in  the  making. 

The  European  war  has  been  the  occasion  of 
a  number  of  successful  advertising  campaigns 
[191] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

for  cash  contributions.  The  Belgian  Eelief 
Committee  of  New  York,  especially,  used  large 
advertising  copy  and  received  enormous  returns. 
Perhaps  advertising  of  this  sort  was  never  done 
under  more  auspicious  circumstances.  Every 
newspaper  in  the  land  was  full  of  accounts  of 
suffering.  In  order  to  accomplish  its  result 
the  advertising  in  many  cases  needed  merely  to 
give  the  name  of  the  treasurer.  The  preliminary 
work  had  been  done  by  free  newspaper  pub- 
licity. During  the  first  month  of  advertising 
there  was  received  $163,000.  Later  the  relief 
committee  extended  its  advertising  over  the 
whole  country  through  forty  magazines  which 
carried  in  their  Christmas  numbers  generous 
sized  ads:  " Belgians  are  starving.  He  gives 
twice  who  gives  quickly." 

In  Canada,  where  the  war  spirit  was  much 
higher  than  in  the  United  States,  a  vigorous 
campaign  early  in  the  war  raised  very  large 
sums.  In  Toronto  alone  there  was  collected  in 
four  days  $880,000.  The  aim  had  been  $500,000. 
Sign  boards,  newspaper  space,  clocks,  and 
luncheons  with  teams  to  solicit  were  parts  of 
this  effort. 

The  large  prominence  given  by  newspapers 
to  the  distress  of  the  Belgians  resulted  in  a 
decline  in  the  amount  of  gifts  usually  received 
by  American  charities  and  many  local  organiza- 
tions followed  the  lead  of  the  war  funds  and 
[192] 


Belgians  Are  Starving 

"He  Gives  Twice  Who  Gives  Quickly" 

MILLIONS  of  Belgians  face  starvation.    They  will  perish  if 
succor  does  not  come  at  once.    Their  plight  is  desperate 
It  cries  out  as  imperiously  as  the  wireless  S.  O.  S.  from 
a  sinking  ship      And  this  call  is  being  heeded.     Fast  ships  bear- 
ing food  have  been  rushed  to  the  rescue      But  more  must  follow. 


Cable  Answers  S.  O.  S. 

This  Belgian  Relief  Committee  cabled 
{50,000  from  big,  generous  America  to 
Ambassador  Page,  to  use  for  buying  food  in 
England  to  hurry  to  Belgium  as  first  aid,  and 
$zo,ooo  was  cabled  to  United  States  Min- 
ister Brand  Whitlock,  in  Brussels,  and  used  in 
the  same  way.  In  Brussels  alone  one  hundred 
soup-kitchens  are  feeding  100,000  hungry 
people  The  daily  cable  dispatches,  in  un- 
biased news  reports,  are  giving  a  continuousac- 
count  of  the  appalling  disaster  and  desolation 


Succor  From  America 

In  America  how  different  the  picture. 
This  magazine  will  reach  its  readers  just 
about  Christmas  time  We  have  had 
bountiful  harvests  and  despite  rather  dull 
times  we  have  great  surpluses  of  food  and 
money  So  40  national  magazines  are 
carrying  in  their  Christmas  issues  this  ap- 
peal to  their  millions  of  readers  to  succor 
the  starving  Belgians.  Divide  your  Christ- 
mas plenty  with  them.  Be  sure  that  the 
gift  will  be  "twice  blessed." 


Send  a  Christmas  Check  Today 


N  &  Co  .  23  Wall  Street.  New  York, 
ceipt  and  the  money  will  at  once  go 


and  mark  it  for  the  Belgian  Relief  Fund.     You  will  recei 

to  the  Belgian  Relief  Committee,  which  will  use  it  for  these  two  purposes- 

1  To  relieve  immediate  distress  of  Belgian  refugees  and  the  hundreds  of  thou- 
sand* of  destitute  women  and  children  and  other  non-combatants  in  Belgium. 

2  To  rehabilitate  as  soon  as  practicable  the  poor  Belgian  peasant  and  working 
classes  by  helping  them  get  roofs  over  their  heads  and  tools  to  work  with. 

BELGIAN    RELIEF    COMMITTEE 

1O   Bridge   Street,   New   York 

Rev    J    F    STILLEMANS,  Prurient 

ROBERT  W    DEFOREST,  Clnirman  of  Extculice  Committee. 

EM  A  Nil  EL  HAVENITH,  Belgian  Minuter  to  tlu  United  StatU. 

FtERKE  MALI,  Omul-General  or  A>w  York. 

W.  BARCLAY  PABSONS 
BERNARD  RAAP 
JOHN  VAN  KICKSTAL 
FRANCIS   LYNDE  STETSON 
THOMAS   I/HACKER 
PRANK   A    VANDEKL1P 
ALFRED  T    WHITS 

S.  O.  S.-Checks.  Money  Orders,  etc.,  should  be  made  to  J.  P.  MORGAN  &  CO.. 
"FOR  BELGIAN  RELIEF  FUND,"  23  Wall  Street,  and  sent  to  that  address 


JAMES  N    BECK 
COKNKL1US  N    BUSS 
HOIiEKI  3.   BKEWsTEH 


HENRY  W    DEFOREST 
CLEVELAND  H    DODGE 
LIONEL  HAGENAERS 
THOMAS  N    HUBEABO 
REV    A    O    NYS 
HENRY  FAIKPIELD  OSBORN 


A  type  of  ad  the  war  brought  out. 


MAKING    PUBLICITY    PKODUCE    RETURNS 

suddenly  sought  advertising  space  to  help  fill 
their  drained  coffers.  It  is  impossible  to  tell 
how  successful  these  efforts  were,  but  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  they  were  most  effective  in  those 
communities  where  the  great  need  at  home  had 
been  impressed  on  the  public  through  a  long 
continued  advertising  campaign. 


[195] 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  COLLEGE  PRESIDENT'S 
ASSISTANT 


President's  work  varied  and  heavy;  printed  matter  helps 
— Direct  publicity  for  cultural  colleges,  secondary  schools, 
etc. — Product  of  a  college  treated  as  product  of  a  shoe 
factory  in  getting  fresh  view  point — Paid  advertising  and 
some  ways  to  make  it  distinctive — Examples — Advertising 
for  college  funds — Publicity  by  business  colleges  and  state 
institutions — Indirect  publicity  through  newspapers  and 
how  to  obtain  it. 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE    COLLEGE    PRESIDENT^    ASSISTANT 


A  COLLEGE  PRESIDENT  fills  a  respon- 
sible position  in  the  institution  over 
which  he  presides  as  well  as  in  the 
community  in  which  he  lives.  On  his  shoulders 
rests  the  burden  not  only  of  directing  the  educa- 
tional policy  of  the  school,  but  also  of  providing 
funds  whereby  it  may  be  maintained.  Very 
often  he  must  take  the  place  of  an  instructor 
and  carry  regular  class  work  and  at  the  same 
time  keep  an  eye  open  for  opportunities  of 
presenting  the  claims  of  his  institution  to  the 
young  people  of  the  territory  from  which  he 
expects  to  draw  students.  He  must  at  the  same 
time  seek  to  make  his  college  known  as  well  as 
possible  among  people  of  wealth,  so  that  they 
may  the  more  readily  contribute  to  its  main- 
tenance. To  assist  the  president  in  his  multi- 
tudinous duties  the  trustees  of  many  colleges 
have  -provided  generously,  so  that  he  has  much 
assistance  in  the  way  of  printed  matter  of  vari- 
ous sorts.  Magazines  reaching  the  class  of 
persons  which  the  institution  wishes  to  interest 
have  also  been  brought  into  service  as  a  very 
effective  assistant  to  the  president.  Most  of  the 
larger  institutions  of  the  country  entrust  their 
[199] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PEOGRESS 

publicity  to  an  agency  fitted  by  training  and 
experience  to  prepare  advertisements.  There 
are,  however,  hundreds  of  colleges  and  schools 
of  various  sorts  where  the  president  has  added 
to  his  other  responsibilities  the  duties  of  adver- 
tising manager. 

In  discussing  the  direct  and  indirect  publicity 
which  a  college  or  school  may  use  in  assisting 
the  president  to  bring  the  institution  to  its 
largest  development,  educational  organizations 
may  be  divided  roughly  into  three  classes. 

First,  cultural  colleges  and  secondary  schools 
for  boys  and  girls,  military  institutions,  board- 
ing schools  and  theological  seminaries.  The 
income  of  these  institutions  from  students 
usually  is  much  less  than  is  necessary  to  pay 
the  running  expenses. 

Second,  schools  for  instruction  in  business, 
where  the  tuition  is  sufficient  to  pay  running- 
expenses  and  afford  a  living  for  all  executives. 

Third,  state  educational  institutions  of  all 
sorts. 

Members  of  the  first  class  will  always  have 
the  hardest  problems.  Competition  for  students 
and  for  funds  is  rather  keen,  and  the  necessity 
of  raising  money  from  month  to  month  for 
current  expenses  prevents  the  president  and  his 
immediate  associates  from  devoting  as  much 
of  their  energies  as  they  should  to- the  strictly 
educational  functions  of  the  institution.  The 
[200] 


Debts  Must  Be 


Huron  College  saved  its  life  by  getting  into  debt; 
now  it  must  get  out  of  debt  to  stay  alive. 

Endowment  subscriptions,  Nov.  11,  1911  $505,129.00 
Collected  to  June  1,  1913: 

Cash,        -        -        -        $409,088.62 

Six  per  cent  notes,  -  30,696.50  $439.785.12 
Yet  to  be  collected,  "^  - -  $  65,343.88 

Debt  was  the  price 
we  paid  for  endow- 
ment 

Net  debt  not  provided  for  on  June  1,  1913,      -       $10,202.59 

Additional  debt  to  Sept.  1,  1913  5,680.00 

Total  to  end  of  fiscal  year,        -       $  15,882.59 

When  our  debts  are  all  paid  and  our  endowment  all 
productive  we  will  keep  out  of  debt. 

Who  Will  Help  Us  Now? 

Address,  President  of  Huron  College,  Huron,  South  Dakota 


Example  of  recently  developed  type  of  college  ad.' 


COLLEGE  PRESIDENT'S  ASSISTANT 


instructors  in  these  colleges  and  schools  for  tho 
most  part  are  overworked  and  underpaid,  and 
the  trustees  or  directors  usually  are  business 
men  who  take  time  from  the  claims  of  their 
affairs  to  try  to  see  that  the  institution  is  pro- 
vided with  sufficient  money.  Under  the  eternal 
financial  stringency  the  sagacious  advice  of  men 
who  know  and  believe  in  publicity  is  needed,  to 
induce  the  trustees  to  give  their  approval  to 
the  expenditure  of  any  of  the  hard  earned  funds 
of  the  institution  for  the  payment  of  advertis- 
ing. It  is  becoming  increasingly  true,  however, 
that  the  business  men  who  make  up  these  boards 
are  applying  to  the  college  the  experience 
gained  in  their  own  affairs,  which  has  shown 
that  it  is  well  worth  while  to  take  money  to 
advance  the  business  which  they  are  direct- 
ing. They  have  learned  that  advertising  ex- 
penditures can  be  classed  under  the  head  of 
investment,  and  if  wisely  made,  the  returns  are 
much  larger  than  they  had  anticipated.  As 
applied  to  colleges  they  have  found  that  news 
of  the  need  of  the  institution  or  of  its  advan- 
tages as  an  educational  center  has  been  carried 
into  homes  through  an  announcement  in  a 
regular  magazine  or  newspaper.at  less  expense 
than  is  possible  by  any  other  means. 

It  may  be  helpful  in  studying  the  sort  of 
publicity  needed  by  these  institutions  to  apply 
to  them  the  analysis  for  a  business  which,  as 
[203] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

was  suggested  in  Chapter  I,  may  be  made  to  fit 
any  of  the  non-commercial  institutions  which 
this  volume  considers.  The  "product"  of  a 
cultural  college  or  school  which  is  not  run  for 
profit  is  education  for  students  and  satisfaction 
for  those  who  support  it.  In  other  words,  the 
college  has  for  sale,  to  use  the  terms  of  com- 
merce, education  and  satisfaction.  The  field  or 
market  for  this  product  naturally  is  the  young 
people  in  the  vicinity  of  the  school  or  those  who 
belong  to  the  denomination  with  which  the  col- 
lege is  affiliated,  and  the  wealthy  men  and 
women  who  may  be  persuaded  that  they  can 
get  greater  satisfaction  and  pleasure  from 
putting  some  of  their  money  into  the  endow- 
ment which  will  support  these  institutions  than 
from  other  investments. 

This  brings  up  the  question  of  competition 
by  these  institutions.  There  are  many  colleges 
and  schools,  and  a  young  person  who  has  re- 
cently graduated  from  an  Iowa  high  school  is 
puzzled  whether  to  attend  one  of  the  forty  or 
fifty  colleges  in  his  own  state,  or  to  go  to  one  in  a 
neighboring  state.  In  the  same  way,  the  churches 
with  their  affiliated  mission  boards  and  funds 
for  disabled  ministers  and  similar  benevolent 
objects  are  keen  competitors  of  the  colleges  for 
a  share  of  the  money  of  the  wealthy  men  and 
women. 

A  factory  which  manufactures  men's  cloth- 
[204] 


COLLEGE    PRESIDENTS    ASSISTANT 

ing,  or  shoes,  or  tooth  brushes,  even  before  it 
has  started  a  wheel  will  investigate  carefully 
the  scheme  of  distribution,  or  its  method  of 
getting  its  product  from  the  factory  to  the 


THE  WESTERN  COLLEGE 

OXFORD,  OHIO  FOUNDED  IN  1855 

A  Standard  College  for  Women,  Situated  in 
One  of  the  Most  Beautiful  Sections  of  Ohio 

BEST  FACILITIES  FOR  MENTAL.  MORAL  AND  PHYSICAL  TRAINING.     MODERATE  EXPENSE 

During  its  long  career  The  Western  lege  standards,  and  an  equipment  in  buildings  and  facilities  well 
College  has  made  a  contribution  to  adapted. to  the  requirements  of  students  and  instructors.  The  Art, 
American  womanhood,  which  is  the  Music  and  Domestic  Science  Departments  are  strong  and  well 

equipped  features. 
The  'Western  is 
within  easy  reach 
of  Cincinnati,  and 
the  .pretty  village 
of  Oxford  is 
near  byi  but  the 
remarkable 
cap  pus  of  350 
acres,  spreading 
over  hjj]  and  val- 
ley, gives  complete 

n.  *„,„,  cjafrc**.      ^^--^^™  I  *t,T;.nDl.(rr 

best  evidence  of  the   efficiency  and   sincerity   of    iu   work      Its  ^"^•^•Bs^HaiSB^        tractions.       Port 

students    are    proud    of    iu    past       But      The     Western     seeks  water,      excepiiooal 

preeminently  to  meet  the  need  of  the   young   woman   of    today  for  facilities  for    outdoor    life  -golf,    tennis,    skating,    Me,;     physical 

t    thorough   college  education    under    Christian    auspices   at    mod-  training    under    an    exclusive    director.       Tables    supplied     from 

crate  cost.     It   provides   a  capable  faculty,   trained    in    the   leading  Western's    own    farm       The    Christian    home   fellowship   of   the 

universities    and    colleges;   a    curriculum    meeting  recognized    col-  college    family    is   characteristic.     Expenses    very    moderate. 

A  new  Gymnasium  with  ample  space  and  equipment  has 
just  been  completed.    It  includes  a  large  swimming  pool. 


MARY  A.  SAWYER,  M.  A.,  Litt.  D.,  Dean,  ::  ::  OXFORD,  OHIO 


Striking  use  of  a  picture.     The  result  is  produced  by  outlining  part  of  the  cut. 
The  squared  portion  to  the  left  heightens  the  effect.     (From  The  Continent.) 

field  where  it  is  to  be  consumed.  In  the 
same  way  every  college,  seminary^ad  s^cond- 
ary  school  may  well  outline  carefully  its 
method  of  reaching  its  field.  First  and  fore- 
most, as  in  all  methods  of  selling,  is  personal 
solicitation.  A  college  can  send  its  president 
and  certain  members  of  its  faculty  to  preach  in 
neighboring  churches,  to  talk  with  leading 
[205] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

parishioners,  and  to  call  on  the  young  people 
who  have  just  graduated  from  high  school,  per- 
chance, and  are  ready  for  a  higher  education. 
This  personal  work  is  extremely  effective,  but 
it  is  expensive.  To  visit  a  student  here  and  a 
student  there,  in  towns  scattered  20  to  100  miles 
apart,  takes  a  good  deal  of  money.  Obtaining 
"  prospects "  by  personal  canvass  is  also  slow 
and  difficult  work. 

The  sending  out  of  printed  matter  such  as 
catalogues,  bulletins,  student  publications,  cir- 
culars, calendars  and  illustrated  booklets  is  less 
expensive,  but  the  effectiveness  of  such  means 
of  solicitation  depends  not  only  upon  the  care 
with  which  this  matter  is  prepared,  but  also 
upon  the  care  with  which  the  mailing  list  is 
compiled.  The  catalogues  and  booklets  to  be 
effective  must  be  sent  to  people  who  may  be 
persuaded  to  attend  the  institution  or  to  take 
a  financial  interest  in  it. 

Colleges  and  secondary  schools  also  obtain 
valuable  publicity  through  the  various  teams 
of  students  sent  out  into  the  surrounding  com- 
munity to  scatter  the  college  spirit.  Glee  clubs, 
baseball  teams,  football  teams,  squads  partici- 
pating in  track  meets,  and  gospel  teams,  all  help 
in  bringing  the  college  they  represent  to  the 
favorable  notice  of  both  students  and  givers. 
Former  students  and  alumni  also  constitute  a 
valuable  means  of  helping  to  distribute  the 
[206] 


COLLEGE    PRESIDENTS    ASSISTANT 


"  product "  of  the  college  or  school — a  means 
which  in  fact  is  seldom  utilized  to  the  full. 

It  would  appear  to  the  casual  reader  that 
the  ways  enumerated  above  are  ample  to  de- 


OUT  OF  910  MEN  IN  ALUMNI 
416  ARE  MINISTERS 


The  contribution  of  Monmouth   College   to  all  < 
forms  of  Christian  service  is  also  very  large  in  proppr 

The  moral  and  spiritual  atmosphere 
about  Monmouth  College  is  very 
wholesome. 

Monmouth's  educational  standard 
is  high,  her  diploma  being  accepted 
at  par  in  the  great  eastern  universities 

She  has  the  dignity  of  age.  having 
been  founded  more  than  50  years 
ago,  and  has  i  body  of  Alumni  num. 
bermg  almost  1.600 

She  has  the  vigor  of  youth,  having 
a  college  plant  of  seven  buildings, 
the  oldest  of  which  is  but  16  years, 
and  the  newest,  a  Girl's  dormitory 
costing  $100.00000.  is  just  being 
completed. 

Monmouth  has  always  ranked  very 
high  in  Oratory  and  Public  Speak- 
ing, but  is  placing  mote  emphasis 
on  this  department  now  than  ever 
before. 

Monmouth  College  Conservatory,  with  its  fine  staff  of     we 
instructors,  ranks  with  the  very  best  in  the  middle  west      It     sui 

MONMOUTH 

Monmouth's  Athletics  are  clean  and  wholesome,  and  SQ 

frt*id.nt  T.  H.  McMICHAEL, 


every  student  can  take  advantage  of  them — not 
eged  few    There  are  sports  that  suit  all  preferences. 
Monmouth  believes  in  a  finished 
manhood    and  womanhood,   and   so 
ministers  to  the  whole  being- 
physical,   social,    mtell-ctual   an* 
.spiritual. 

Monmouth  College  is  located  at 
Monmouth,  Illinois,  on  the  main  line 
of  the  Burlington  Route  and  on  the 
Minneapolis  &  SL  Louis  line  of  the 
same  system;  also  on  the  M  &  St. 
L  R  R  and  the  Rock  Island  South- 
ern  Traction  line,  and  is  just  six 
miles  by  trolley  from  the  mam  line 
of  the  Santa  Fe  System.  It  is  a  town 
of  10,000  population,  just  the  right 
size  for  a  College  Town. 

The  "Maple  City,"  as  Monmouth 
is  styled,  is  a  typical  college  town  wilh 
all    the    modern    improvements  and" 
conveniences  of  larger  cities,  such  as 
paved  streets,  electric  lights,  water. 
It  is  a  city  of  churches.     The  moral  influences 
g  the  students  render  them  as  free  from  tempta- 
tion to  evil  habits  as  they 
could  well  be  anywhere, 
outside    the    influences 
of   a    Christian   home. 
rated  catalogue  and  complete  information  write  to 

MONMOUTH,    ILLINOIS 


The  head  line  is  nicely  adapted  to  reach  young  men  who  wish  a  college  with  a 
distinctively  religious  atmosphere. 

velop  both  students  and  givers.  It  must  be 
remembered,  however,  that  one  of  the  prime 
requisites  of  good  advertising  is  continuity  of 
impression.  A  catalogue  is  issued  but  once  a 
year ;  an  illustrated  booklet  may  be  brought  out 
two  or  three  times  a  year ;  and  a  glee  club  may 
come  to  a  town  only  once  in  three  or  four  years. 
In  order  that  the  college  may  make  the  impres- 
[207] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

sion  on  student  or  prospective  giver  which  it 
should  make,  the  college  should  impress  itself 
often  upon  the  possible  prospect. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  explain  the  many 
advantages  of  the  use  of  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines as  advertising  mediums.  They  have  been 
found  to  return  to  colleges  and  schools  greater 
results  at  a  less  cost  than  practically  any  other 
form  of  publicity.  The  announcement  of  the 
advantages  of  attending  a  certain  school,  when 
put  into  a  magazine  of  100,000  circulation, 
reaches  a  number  of  individuals  who  already 
know  about  the  school.  It  doubtless  reinforces 
their  favorable  impression.  But  at  the  same 
time  the  announcement  falls  into  the  hands  of 
thousands  of  individuals  whose  names  would 
never  appear  upon  any  college  mailing  list  and 
who  would  never  be  reached  through  personal 
solicitation. 

The  announcement  of  a  college  which  wishes 
to  raise  $100,000  for  endowment,  when  put  with 
judicious  care  into  the  paper  of  the  denomina- 
tion affiliated  with  the  college,  reaches  a  multi- 
tude of  individuals  who  have  money  which  they 
may  at  some  time  care  to  invest  in  Christian 
education.  The  only  way  to  discover  such  indi- 
viduals is  through  an  appeal  which  will  come 
to  their  eyes.  A  circular  letter  often  is  thrown 
aside  unread.  If  the  appeal  is  put  in  an  attrac- 
tive form  upon  the  pages  of  a  favorite  period- 
[208] 


A  Question 
to  Parents 


You  will  entrust  Son  or 
Daughter  to  a  College 
next  September.  You  wish  health  conserved, 
power  of  independent  thought  developed,  so* 
cial  amenities  quickened.  You  wish  pleasant 
surroundings,  reasonable  expense,  adequate 
libraries  and  laboratories,  a  strong  faculty. 

fi.  Yet  these  are  of  only  minor  importance. 

CL  Of  major  importance  is  the  influence  of 
faculty,  of  students,  and  of  environment  on 
the  Character  of  Son  or  Daughter. 

C.  What  ideals  will  he  have  after  four  years? 
Have  you  given  this  question  sufficient  at* 
tention  in  considering  colleges? 

QAlma  College  will  satisfy  you  as  to  the 
minor  matters.  Nothing  short  of  hundred' 
point  satisfies  Alma  in  the  major. 

C.  Alma  is  co-educational. 

C.  College  Courses,  Conservatory  of  Music,  Kinder* 
garten  Training,  Special  Preparation  for  Engineering 
and  Medicine.  Dormitories.  Scholarships  for  needy  and 
deserving.  Gymnasium.  Athletics  for  all. 

Ask  President  THOS.  C.  BLAISDELL,  Ph.D.. 
Box  Y,  Alma,  Michigan. 


Parents  in  most  cases  determine  the  choice  of  a  college.    Note  use  of  college  seal. 


COLLEGE  PRESIDENT'S  ASSISTANT 


ical   of  the  home   the  message   of  the   college 
president  will  be  read  and  remembered,  even 
though  there  is  no  immediate  response  to  it. 
The  favorable  mental  impression  produced  may 
constitute  a  most  excellent  introduction  when 
next  this  institution  is  heard  from.     The  cost 
per  capita  of  such  an  announcement  is  infinites- 
imal compared  to  the  cost  for  each  copy  of  a 
catalogue  or  booklet.  The  '  *  traveling  expenses ' ' 
of  such  an  appeal  are  also  paid  by  the  publisher. 
Paid    advertising    of    schools    and    colleges 
varies  in  quality.     Some  institutions   succeed 
/admirably  in  injecting  the  individuality  of  the 
school  into  printed  matter  and  into  advertise- 
ments.   Others  seem  to  have  little  individuality 
to  project,  or  think  too  lightly  of  the  power  of 
the  press,  to  spend  much  time  in  filling  the  space 
they  buy.    To  tell  just  how  a  college  should  be 
advertised  involves  all  the  principles  of  adver- 
tising plus  a  knowledge  of  each  school.     There 
are  some  general  principles  which  if  observed 
wisely  will  help  the  publicity  of  any  college.    A 
trade  mark~is.~o£_4ise-in  giving  an  institution 
distinction.    A  portion  of  a  building,  a  tower,  a 
doorway,  the  college  seal,  or  a  monogram  may 
be  used.    This  helps  identify  successive  adver- 
tisements and  aids  in  giving  the  school  per- 
manence in  the  minds  of  the  readers. 

Care  should  always  be  taken  in  writing  an 
"ad"  to  fit  it  to  the  medium  in  which  it  is  to 
[211] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

appear.  The  writer  should  have  a  clear  idea  as 
to  whether  he  wishes  to  bid  for  students  or  to 
solicit  contributions.  The  different  aims  of  the 
ad  will  considerably  vary  the  tone  and  mode  of 
approach  to  the  subject.  In  the  accompanying 
ad  of  Lenox  College  the  picture  of  the  girls  will 
attract  attention.  The  appeal  in  the  text  is  dis- 
tinctly to  the  prospective  student.  Westminster 
College  (page  221),  on  the  other  hand,  is  asking 
for  funds  and  points  its  claim  to  the  attention 
of  the  whole  denomination  by  a  map.  The  text 
explains  the  strategic  situation  of  this  college  in 
the  field  of  Christian  education  in  the  West. 

Just  as  some  cities  are  uniting  on  the  use 
of  advertising  to  bring  about  a  religious  revival, 
so  a  few  colleges  are  depending  in  large  part  on 
advertising  to  bring  in  money  for  the  support 
of  the  institution.  Such  a  campaign  should  not 
be  attempted,  however,  unless  the  college 
authorities  are  ready  to  stick  to  it  for  two  or 
three  years.  People  with  money  are  not  in  the 
habit  of  sending  their  wealth  to  the  first  college 
which  asks  for  it.  Weekly  statements  of  the 
work  of  the  institution  and  some  indication  of 
what  may  be  accomplished  with  additional 
means  gain  the  interest — and  later  the  one 
interested  invests  in  the  work.  Dubuque 
German  College  and  Seminary,  at  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  an  institution  for  the  education  of  foreign 
speaking  young  men  to  become  pastors  for  their 
[212] 


LENOX  COLLEGE 

HOPKINTON,  IOWA  (Co-educational) 


Lenox  Y.  W.  C.  A.  Delegation  to  Geneva 
This  Summer 


The  College  that  makes  good  in 
her  graduates.  Three  times  as  many 
positions  offered  this  spring  as  we 
have  seniors  available.  Attend 
Lenox  and  be  sure  of  a  good  posi- 
tion at  a  good  salary.  For  further 
information  address 


Rev.  E.  E.  Reed,  D.  D.,      :-:      President 


This  ought  to  attract  the  favorable  attention  of  young  women — and  young  men! 


COLLEGE    PRESIDENTS    ASSISTANT 

fellow  countrymen  in  this  country,  has  adver- 
tised for  funds  for  a  number  of  years.  These 
ads  have  appeared  only  in  The  Continent  and 
have  been  characterized  by  a  distinct  typo- 
graphical style.  The  space  has  varied,  but  each 
week  stories  of  the  work  of  the  institution  have 
gone  into  the  homes  of  the  leading  Presby- 
terians of  the  country.  Seldom  is  money  asked 
for.  The  effort  is  solely  to  create  interest  in 
the  work  which  the  college  is  trying  to  do.  The 
cumulative  effect  of  such  ads  is  very  large,  and 
the  long  continued  campaign,  together  with  the 
distinctive  character  of  the  announcements,  has 
made  the  name  of  Dubuque  and  its  president, 
Dr.  C.  M.  Steffens,  known  even  across  the  ocean. 
As  much  as  $30,000  has  been  received  in  one 
check  directly  as  the  result  of  this  advertising. 

It  takes  courage  on  the  part  of  a  hard  pressed 
college  president  to  spend  money  for  advertis- 
ing, although  the  trustees  willingly  appropriate 
the  salary  and  traveling  expenses  of  one  or 
more  men  to  get  students  and  money.  Yet 
when  money  is  spent  for  printed  appeals  to 
friends  of  the  college  through  a  trusted  paper, 
the  way  of  the  employed  officers  of  the  institu- 
tion is  smoothed. 

Business  colleges  and  institutions  which  are 
run  to  make  money  do  not  advertise  for  endow- 
ment. Their  campaign  for  students  can  be  put 
on  a  more  sordid  plane  than  that  assumed  by 
[215] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

the  cultured  college,  if  indeed  it  be  sordid  to 
help  fit  an  individual  to  earn  his  living.  Pic- 
tures of  former  graduates  who  are  now  occupy- 
ing high  positions  in  the  business  world,  details 
of  their  rise  and  the  amount  of  salary  they 
receive  now,  compared  with  their  earning  power 


for  Todd, 
now,  tomorrow 
and  forever." 

So  writes  Mrs.  Eugene ' 
,  Field,  mother  of    one 
Todd  boy;  and  hundreds ' 
of  mothers  say  the  same 

thing.  Our  Ideal— "For  Ev- 
ery  Todd  Itoy  a  Good  Citizen." 

TODD  SEMINARY 

FOR  BOYS 

,  is  located  1 ,000  feet  above  the  sea.  In  the  hill 
L  country  of  Illinois,  only  one  hour  from  Chl- 
cago.  67th  year.  Genuine  home  life.  Cosy 
buildings  and  a  fine  big  campus  and 
voodland.     All   athletics,     inquire 

about  our  Northern  Stnnmpr  Camp. 

NODLE  HILL.  Principal 

Woodstock.  111. 


Good  use  of  small  space. 

before  they  took  the  course — all  these  plans  can 
be  worked  to  bring  in  the  students.  Some  of 
the  same  plans  suggested  above  for  finding 
students  for  cultural  colleges  may  be  used  also. 
Anything  which  makes  the  institution  attractive 
or  stimulates  in  the  minds  of  young  persons  a 
desire  for  the  sort  of  education  the  college  has 
for  sale  will  swell  the  enrollment.  All  the  prin- 
ciples of  paid  advertising  hold  true  here. 
[216] 


No  preacher  came 
with  the  Pilgrims 
in  the  Mayflower 


But  they  did  have 
Elder  Brewster,  who 
acted  as  minister 


Few   preachers  come 
with  modern  immigrants 

But  there  are  many  young  men 
ready  to  be  educated  to  preach 
to  their  countrymen,  who  are  in 
danger  of  forgetting  their  church 
in  their  new  environment 

They  must  be   trained 

It  is  for  just  this  purpose  that 
the  Presbyterians  of  America 
support  Dubuque  College  and 
Seminary,  where  foreigners  of 
many  tongues  learn  to  preach 
to  the  people  of  their  own  races. 
We  need  your  cooperation. 
Send  a  card  for  full  information 
to  DR.  C.  M.  STEFFENS, 
President,  Dubuquc.  Iowa 


Ads  similar  to  this,  appearing  weekly  in  The  Continent,  have  done  much  to  sup- 
port this  institution. 


COLLEGE    PRESIDENTS    ASSISTANT 

State  educational  institutions  for  the  most 
part  have  no  problem  of  endowment,  current 
expense  or  students.  These  schools  are  main- 
tained by  all  the  people  through  taxes,  and  their 
duty  is  to  give  something  in  return  to  the  tax- 
payer. In  addition  to  educating  young  people 
of  the  state  at  the  seat  of  the  state  university, 
and  offering  short  courses  to  farmers  who  come 
in  summer  or  winter  for  a  snatch  of  higher 
education  in  farm  work,  these  institutions  load 
a  portion  of  their  equipment  on  special  trains 
and  carry  the  gospel  of  better  seed  corn,  pure 
bred  cattle,  and  deeper  plowing  to  the  farmers 
in  the  small  towns.  It  is  in  the  attracting  of 
attention  to  these  "extra  territorial"  activities 
of  the  state  university  that  the  main  publicity 
problem  of  such  institutions  will  be  found.  This 
indicates  that  those  mediums  of  publicity  must 
be  used  which  will  reach  the  persons  whom  the 
institution  desires  to  attract.  The  farm  journals, 
country  weeklies  and  to  a  lesser  extent  the  daily 
papers  of  the  state  are  important.  Such  an 
educational  campaign  may  be  carried  out  just 
as  though  it  were  a  convention,  as  described 
in  Chapter  VIII. 

Alumni  of  Iowa  State  University  were  respon- 
sible for  a  full  page  ad  in  some  of  the  dailies 
of  the  state  during  August,  1914,  telling  the 
advantages  gained  by  attending  the  university. 
Eeprints  were  mailed  to  prospective  students 
[219] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

and  to  alumni  for  distribution.  South  Dakota 
State  College  in  three  years  increased  the  en- 
rollment from  600  to  1,000  by  newspaper  adver- 
tising. 

The  extent  to  which  colleges  of  any  sort  can 
get  news  of  their  activities  published  in  papers 
that  reach  their  constituency  depends  upon 
the  quality  of  the  news.  When  there  is  evidence 
of  the  growth  of  the  institution,  local  papers 
are  glad  for  full  details.  Denominational 
papers  also  will  use  something,  although  less 
than  papers  devoted  purely  to  local  happenings. 
Papers  in  the  home  town  of  students  frequently 
will  take  items  about  the  activities  of  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  local  subscribers.  These  items 
should  always  put  the  emphasis  on  the  appeal 
to  the  people  of  the  town  in  which  the  item  is 
to  be  printed.  In  other  words,  there  should  be 
an  item  concerning  Johnnie  Jones  of  Ourtown 
at  Blank  College,  rather  than  a  bold  attempt  to 
have  printed  an  item  about  the  college  with 
Johnnie's  name  mentioned  incidentally. 

The  same  care  must  be  exercised  by  colleges 
in  preparing  matter  for  the  press  as  by 
churches.  This  communication  one  day  made  its 
appearance  on  the  desk  of  the  editor  of  a  church 
paper : 

The  George  Collegiate  Institute  located 
at  Summit,  Ore.,  was  the  first  institution 

[220] 


ANEEDYWORKIN 
A  GREAT  FIELD 

This  Circle  Encloses  the  Most 

Needy  and  Difficult  Home  Mission 

Field  of  America 

It  is  the  Stronghold  of  Mormonism 

This  Circle  Has  a  Vast  Area 

It  encloses  Utah  and  cuts  through  six 
other  states.  It  has  a  diameter  of  610 
miles.  It  includes  292,247  square  miles. 
It  contains  more  land  than  all  of  the  states 
east  of  Indiana  and  north  of  N.  Carolina, 
viz.:  New  England,  New  York,  N.  J., 
Penn.,  Del.,  Va.,  W.  Va.  and  Ohio. 

This  Circle  Has  But  One  Prot- 
estant Christian  College  in  It 

This  is  the  Westminster  college  at  Salt 
Lake  City,  founded  by  Sheldon  Jackson. 
It  is  388  miles  by  raH  from  Salt  Lake 
City  to  the  nearest  Christian  college. 

Westminster  College  Is  to 
Have  No  Competitor 

Other  leading  denominations  have  agreed 
not  to  plant  another  college  in  the  state 
of  Utah.  They  will  give  their  efforts 
locally  to  develop  one  strong  college. 

Westminster  College  Has 
One  Great  Purpose 

It  is  to  develop  trained  Christian  leaders  for 
this  needy  intermountain  section.  Itisnow 
successfully  doing  this  important  thing. 

Westmiiuter  College  Has  a  Natural 

And  Just  Appeal  .to  AH  American 

Presbyterians  for  Support 

Its  position  is  certainly  unique  and  most 
strategic.  Its  opportunity  is  nearly  un- 
limited. Its  responsibility  is  tremendous. 

What  Part  Would  You  Like  to  Horn  in 
the  Upbuilding  and  Maintenance  of 
TV*  Needy  Work  in  a  Great  Field? 

Address  President  H.  W   REHERD,  D.D. 

WESTMINSTER  COLLEGE, 

SALT  LAKE  CITY.    .   -       -       -       .       .        UTAH 


Well  constructed  appeal  for  financial  support.     The  map  is  cleverly  used. 


COLLEGE    PRESIDENTS    ASSISTANT 

established  under  the  board  of  aid  for  col- 
leges. It  was  established  in  the  year  1884. 
It  is  located  in  the  great  northwest  of  the 
state.  And  there  being  no  other  of  our 
institutions  near  it  occupies  a  unique  and 
strategic  position.  The  fine  alumni  asso- 
ciation of  more  than  350  shows  something 
of  its  value.  The  school  and  community 
are  greatly  rejoicing  in  the  fact  that  Eev. 
Thomas  W.  Smith  has  recently  been 
elected  and  has  accepted  the  position  of 
field  secretary  and  the  principalship. 
Everything  is  looking  good.  Preparations 
are  being  made  to  complete  an  endowment 
that  the  school  may  be  placed  upon  a  more 
substantial  financial  position. 

Fortunately  for  the  reputation  of  the  school, 
this  was  written  by  a  friendly  pastor  and  not 
by  one  who  posed  as  an  instructor  in  the  insti- 
tution. If  one  read  through  the  quotation  it 
was  discovered  that  the  excuse  for  the  item 
lay  in  the  last  sentence.  The  institute  planned 
an  endowment  campaign.  Why  not  say  so?  To 
give  ancient  history  in  a  60  word  item  is  en- 
tirely out  of  place,  even  if  the  item  does  not 
offend  most  seriously  against  that  more  or  less 
intangible  thing,  news  style. 

There  are  events  of  local  importance  occurring 
frequently  at  all  colleges,  and  in  case  a  nearby 
[223] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PKOGKESS 


daily  does  not  have  a  regular  correspondent, 
an  editor  is  glad  if  someone  in  authority  sees 
that  the  paper  gets  the  news.  The  college  must, 
however,  be  prepared  to  take  publicity  both 
coming  and  going.  The  officers  must  not  object 
when  the  intercollegiate  debate  gets  six  inches 
of  space  and  the  latest  escapade  of  the  Fresh- 
men class  is  given  two  columns.  It  is  not  the 


eechwood 

A  Cultural  and  Practical  School 

We  seek  to  discover  the' natural  aptitudes 
of  our  students  and  have  the  departments  to 
develop  them.  Our  aim  is  a  woman  of  cul- 
ture who  can  successfully  do  the  practical. 

College  Preparatory;  College  Departments; 

Conservatory  oT Music;  Art,  Arts  and  Crafts, 
_  _  Oratory.  Courses  in  Domestic  Arts  and  Sci- 

L&JOtTlfin  ences,  Secretaryship,  Normal  Gymnastics, 
1  Normal  Kindergarten  as  electives.Unusual 

buildings.  Rooms  with  privatebath  .Swim- 


ming  pool.athletic  field;  new  gymnasium. 
Healthful  country  life.    Moderate  terms. 


Apply  for 
catalogue  to 

M.  H.  REASER  Ph.  D.,  President,    Box  411,    Jenkintown,  Penna. 
Eev.  D.  H.  KERB,  D.D.,LL.  D.,  Asso.  (23  minutes  from  Philadelphia) 

UIIIIIHIIIIIIlilllllllllllliiliillllillllllllllllllllliiilll 

The  boxed  initial  made  this  stand  out  in  a  page  of  school  ads 
in  Good  Housekeeping. 

publication  of  the  pranks  of  the  youngsters 
which  damages  the  college.  If  the  college  is 
to  keep  unspotted  its  reputation  as  a  place  of 
learning,  the  Freshmen  must  be  prevented  from 
doing  anything  which  will  reflect  discredit  on 
their  institution. 

Daily  newspapers  in  or  near  a  college  town 
will   pay   a   regular   correspondent   for   news, 
[224] 


COLLEGE  PRESIDENT'S  ASSISTANT 


especially  of  the  athletic  activities.  The  amount 
a  man  is  able  to  earn  from  these  sources  is 
very  large  in  the  universities  and  is  not  incon- 
siderable in  smaller  places.  The  secret  of  suc- 
cess in  such  work  is  regularity.  Three  inches 
three  times  a  week  amounts  to  several  columns 
by  the  end  of  a  month.  Prospects  for  athletic 
teams  furnish  yards  of  copy  to  a  clever  man 
during  early  fall  and  early  spring  when  sports 
are  a  little  dull.  A  "star"  in  any  department 
of  sport  means  dollars  from  additional  papers, 
many  of  which  will  take  pictures  of  the 
champion. 


[225] 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

(This  list  does  not  include  the  scores  of 
books  on  general  advertising.  Few  writers 
have  paid  much  attention  to  church  advertising, 
and  none,  so  far  as  can  be  discovered,  have 
written  on  advertising  for  other  non-commercial 
organizations,  except  as  noted.) 

Principles  of  Successful  Church  Advertising. 
Charles  Stelzle  (Fleming  H.  Eevell  Co.,  New 
York).  This  relates  almost  wholly  to  paid 
advertising  by  churches  and  is  admitted  by  ad- 
vertising experts  to  be  a  practical  book.  It  is 
helpful  to  one  who  knows  nothing  about  adver- 
tising and  contains  useful  information  for  one 
who  is  ignorant  of  printers'  terms  and  tools. 
Illustrated. 

Church  Publicity.  Christian  F.  Beisner  (The 
Methodist  Book  Concern,  New  York).  This  is  a 
stimulating  compilation  of  advertising  plans 
which  the  author  has  used  in  Denver  and  Xew 
York.  The  opinions  of  pastors  of  many  de- 
nominations in  various  parts  of  the  country  are 
given  on  the  importance  and  efficiency  of  differ- 
ent kinds  of  advertising.  It  relates  wholly  to 
church  societies  and  is  profusely  illustrated. 

Publicity  Message,  Men  and  Religion  For- 
ward Movement  (Association  Press,  Xew 
York).  This  gives  a  summary  of  several 
[226] 


BIBLIOGKAPHY 


questionnaires  answered  by  editors  and  by  lay- 
men in  the  church  concerning  the  mutual  rela- 
tion of  the  press  and  the  church,  as  to  what 
should  be  considered  advertising,  and  what  sort 
of  facts  will  make  acceptable  news.  George  W. 
Coleman,  sometime  president  of  the  Associated 
Ad  Clubs  of  America  was  president,  and  Wil- 
liam T.  Ellis,  well  known  writer  on  religious 
subjects,  was  secretary  of  the  commission. 

Association  Advertising.  H.  W.  Stone  (H.  W. 
Stone,  Portland,  Ore).  A  stimulating  little 
volume  devoted  wholly  to  advertising  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  by  an  association  officer  who  has 
used  advertising  successfully  in  his  work. 
Illustrated. 

Modern  Methods  in  Church  Work.  George 
Whitefield  Mead  (George  H.  Doran  Company). 
This  book  commends  church  advertising  but  was 
written  before  the  church  realized,  to  the  extent 
it  does  now,  how  important  advertising  is.  Nine 
of  the  363  pages  concern  printed  matter  for 
the  church. 

Advertising  as  a  Business  Force.  Paul  Terry 
Cherington  (Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.,  New  York). 
A  careful  compilation  of  experiences  of  com- 
mercial advertisers  arranged  for  instruction  in 
advertising.  Many  of  the  campaigns  of  com- 
mercial organizations  here  presented  may  be 
applied  to  non-commercial  organizations. 

The  Crowd.    A  Study  of  the  Popular  Mind, 
[227] 


PUBLICITY    AND    PROGRESS 

Gustave  LeBon.  One  of  the  standard  works 
on  psychology  of  crowds.  Good  for  supple- 
mental reading. 

The  Clock  That  Had  No  Hands.  And  Nine- 
teen Other  Essays  About  Advertising.  Herbert 
Kaufman  (George  H.  Doran  Company).  The 
arguments  that  are  made  in  favor  of  newspaper 
advertising  are  very  convincing  and  the  writer 
knows  how  to  make  attractive  copy.  Will  re- 
pay careful  reading. 

Advertising  the  Church.  William  T.  Ellis 
(William  T.  Ellis,  Swarthmore,  Pa.).  A  pamph- 
let of  reproductions  of  half -page  church  ads 
from  Philadelphia  papers.  They  can  be 
adapted  to  local  use. 


[228] 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN     INITIAL     FINE     OF    25     CENTS 

WILL   BE   ASSESSED    FOR    FAILURE  TO    RETURN 

THIS    BOOK   ON   THE  DATE   DUE.     THE  PENALTY 

WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 

£AY    A_Ntp    JCO     $1.00     ON     THE    SEVENTH     DAY 

muj:.  Yf  •£  V 


AP8     3  1933 
«7l§35 

OCT  28  1935 

NOV    2  1936 
S5  1940 


HUM  a  B 


jULl  5  1952 


LD  21-50?M-1,'33 


YC  24343 


328326 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


